Making Tomorrow Yesterday
by MyStOrIeS
Summary: Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Her cousin's archnemisis falls for her and complications ensue. FULL SUMMARY IN CHAPTER AND PROFILE.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Prologue 

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, Harry, Hermione, and Ron try to find out what happened between Sirius and Salene.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **This story, as far as I know, is only halfway or so to being finished. It is my baby, and no matter the feedback I think I will always love this piece. The only reason I posted the Prologue is to see what kind of response I might expect and to put out the notice that I am seeking a beta for this story. If you're interested (plot, grammar, or both - any is perfect with me) or need more information, feel free to e-mail me. My address should be on my profile, but just in case it is kaleidascope underscore prettycolors yahoo . com, without the spaces.

Potter no longer had the look of a carefree youth. He was still sickly thin, but had shot up a more than a foot and he towered over nearly everyone with an imposing air. His eyes were constantly stormy and brewing, prone to darkening in defiance or growing several shades lighter in worry. They peered in from your own eyes, searching your soul and leaving you with barely a scrap of self-respect, at least for a few quivering moments of fear when it was not the Boy-Who-Lived that stood before you but Harry Potter, an unfortunate man who had seen Voldemort and lived; five or six times over.

But the changes were not only physical. He was reluctant to engage in conversation, and preferred to dwell in the shadows of his common room or library. Where before Hermione had sought comfort in books - she then found the comfort in Ron's arms - it was Harry who studied helplessly, plugged all of his energy into the bound parchment, expecting and receiving nothing in return.

And the only time a shadow of the old Harry showed, was when he shuffled into the dungeons for Occlumency lessons, glaring purposely at the floor. However, he had improved greatly in Occlumency because he knew fighting Voldemort was more important than a hatred felt for an - supposed anyway - ally. Especially after he had nearly lost Sirius.

"You've been practicing, Potter?" Professor Snape asked in his usual greeting. Harry nodded reflexively. "Well...get ready. _Legilimens_." Harry could barely clear his mind and heart before he was reliving a particularly nasty memory of his childhood. Two of Dudley's friends pinned his arms behind him, and around a tree trunk, while Dudley beat him furiously, a ring clearly glinting from one of his sausage fingers and eventually dislocating Harry's shoulder, among other things.

Then, he was throwing the spell back at Snape, and he was inside his professor's mind. At the blurry edges of the memory, he felt Snape's surprise, and his inability to pull away. Then Harry's full attention was sucked into the memory, somewhat like a pensive.

* * *

_"You were good in bed, and you believed all those pathetic lies I spilled. But now I'm through playing games, Black. You - me - we're over." The speaker, who was making quite a scene in the Great Hall, was a young woman around seventeen or eighteen, with waist length black hair and glittering sapphire eyes, though they were unnaturally free of emotion. Her skin was eerily pale, but it only set off her eyes more. She was not especially pretty, but not exactly ugly. Professor Snape - only, he was younger there, hair still stringy and nose still hooked - stood next to her, watching the unfolding scene with a curiously delighted expression._

_"Salene...you can't mean this. We've broken up before, and we'll get through it." Sirius sounded desperate as he spoke._

_"Did you honestly expect I, pureblood Salene Candace Snape, would stay with a low-life, blood-traitor such as you? You are hardly fit to lick my shoes clean." Salene, apparently, sneered, casting venomous looks at James and Remus. There were several moments of silence and for the briefest of moments there was a flicker of many emotions - pain, disbelief, anger - on Salene's face. Then the cold indifference settled back on as Sirius jumped from his seat and sprinted out of the Great Hall._

_

* * *

_

"Potter," Snape growled as Harry blinked, finding himself suddenly on his hands and knees, "get OUT."

"But - sir, who-"

"**Out**, I said," he snarled, taking hold of Harry's robes and throwing him out into the corridors. Harry, disoriented and sure he would have a few bruises the next day, stood to his knees. After a careful self-check up, he hurried out of the dungeons,a glint of the old Harry back as he began searching for Hermione and Ron. As soon as he had them assembled and filled them in on what had happened, they made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry," Hermione said in a careful tone as they stopped, "do you know the password?" he shrugged and shook his head for an answer before beginning to spout all the candy names he could think of, Muggle and Wizard alike. "Harry," she began once more, voice even gentler. "Why is this important? Don't you think Sirius has is entitled to privacy?"

"Of course," he sighed, running a hand through his already ragged hair. "I'm not asking to pry into his business. I'm asking because I found out the name of our Charms teacher next year, and guess who it is?" Ron looked confused, but Hermione's mouth dropped into a perfect 'o' of surprise.

"Harry...if she dated Siruis, she's bound to have known Remus and I-"

"Who was bound to know me?" All three jumped out of their skin at the familiar voice of their History of Magic professor.

"Professor Lupin," Harry said, his entire being steeled for any negative reaction, "what do you know about our new Charms teacher?"

"New?" he asked, fiegning confusion. "I thought Flitwick has always taught you three."

"Professor," Hermione sighed. "This is very important to Harry...to all of us." Remus sighed.

"How did you find out about her?"

"Snape's memories," he answered immediately. The three friends frowned out of confusion when the older werewolf went pale and took a step back.

"You didn't happen to see anything else, did you?" Harry shook his head mutely and he visibly healthened, seemingly out of relief.

"Well, then, I have no business telling you three anything. Let's go see if Professor Dumbledore will allow you to floo to the headquarters for a short visit." He nodded and followed his professor up the winding staircase, not noticing his friends stayed behind.


	2. Chapter I

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Prologue 

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, Harry, Hermione, and Ron try to find out what happened between Sirius and Salene.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **I posted the prologue looking for a beta on a different site and then posted the prologue here a few hours later. I realized I could be suspected of copying the prologue (though why anyone would want to steal it is beyond me) and decided to post the first chapter. I could've still stolen it, but...

* * *

**Chapter One:**

Salene regarded her cousin calmly while gently patting her bun to make sure it was in place. "Durmstrang provided much better transportation," she said, looking around the compartment and noticing the door beginning to open. She smirked faintly and decided to allow Severus to be tortured in whatever way the three boys in the doorway were planning.

"Don't change the subject. We were discussing serious-" His words were cut off sharply.

"Aw, Snivellus, I didn't know you gossiped," the boy in the middle teased, tossing his head slightly to flip his hair out of his face. His gray eyes flashed challengingly as they ran over Salene. "Who's the girlfriend?"

"The cousin," she corrected, a touch of disdain evident in her tone. "You should know Severus can't get a girlfriend." The other boys laughed, and Severus elbowed her harshly, face rapidly darkening from it's usual pale to a flush. "Salene Snape," she added, offering her hand and wondering if any of them would accept it. She was surprised, to say the least, at what the boy did.

He gently took her hand and brought it to his mouth, stopping when his lips were just about to brush her hand, the proper way to 'kiss' a lady's hand. He released his hold and smirked. "Pleasure to meet you. Name's Black, Sirius Black." In an instant, Severus was on his feet, his fist wrapped tightly around the neck of Black's robes. He jerked him forward threateningly, their faces few inches apart.

"Leave my cousin alone, Black," he snarled. He only then seemed to notice the wand aimed at him and released his hold on Black with a sharp jerk, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Now Snivellus," the boy on the right taunted, "is that any way to treat us? We came all the way from the front of the train to talk to you, and all you do is threaten us." He dragged a hand through his already rumpled hair and smirked, cinnamon eyes flashing. He was the shortest of the bunch, but only by an inch or so. The boy on the left glanced at him, looking as though he very much wanted to roll his eyes, and be somewhere else. "I'm James Potter, by the way," the second boy added with an air of self importance.

"The arrogant prat who never shuts up," added a feminine voice from behind the three. Potter whirled around, suddenly smiling nervously.

"Evans! How was your summer?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious, suddenly reaching up to flatten his hair.

"Fine, thank you," she answered distractedly, eyeing his hands oddly. "I'm Head Girl this year, and I won't tolerate you three picking on Severus. It disrupts the working environment and-"

"And you're trying to impress him," Black snickered, causing her to glare violently. "Besides, Snivellus made Head Boy, he can tell us off himself."

"Well...he hasn't so far, and I don't want a fight to break out-"

"He manhandled us, and we never put a finger on him," Black interrupted once more, voice rising in a mock dramatic way.

"Big words this year," 'Evans' snapped, and jerked him back by the neck of his robes.

"Why does everyone do that to me?" he asked to no one in particular. Potter followed them, looking slightly jealous, but the third boy paused. He had shaggy hair the shade of maple syrup, and hazel-amber eyes that gave away he was a werewolf at once, at least to Salene. It was not common knowledge that werewolves, and only werewolves, sported amber eyes and always dark hair. If you were born with light hair and then was bit, it went dark overnight.

"Yes, Lupin?" Severus asked, looking considerably calmer after the two had left.

"I was just wondering..." he trailed off hesitantly and Severus nodded. Lupin, apparently, stepped in and shut the compartment door behind him. Then he took out his wand and cast several protective and silencing charms before doing something that made Salene slip from her seat to the floor in a faint.

Lupin sat in Severus's lap, looped his arms around his neck, and kissed him solidly.

* * *

"You could have told me about that earlier," she suggested to Severus, as she stepped off the train, collected. He simply shook his head, and she began to follow him down the row of thestral-drawn carriages when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Indignant at being touched, she whirled around and reflexively whipped out her wand. Albus Dumbledore, who she recognized immediately, chuckled and gently lowered her wand with one hand. In the other, he held a faded and patched wizard's hat. "What's that?" she asked warily, watching the gathering crowd out of the corner of her eye. Black was pushing his way to the front. 

"This is the Sorting Hat. I will place it upon your head, and your new house will be announced," Professor Dumbledore answered, smiling and half lifting the hat.

"I have to put _that_ on my head?" she asked cautiously and he nodded. "No, I refuse it. Millions upon millions of heads have worn that hat. It's probably full of lice and grease and sweat-" She broke off abruptly as the headmaster reached up and gently set the hat down. She bit down hard on her lip to avoid the shriek that wanted to escape. She was unusually...particular about cleanliness.

"SLYTHERIN," the hat shouted, the word echoing in the vast openness. Professor Dumbledore reached up and plucked the hat from her head, where she immediately placed the tip and cast the strongest cleaning charm she knew.

"Disgusting," Salene muttered as Severus walked up, eyebrows risen comically. "Can I help you?"

"I would have placed you for Gryffindor," he said tonelessly, but she saw the teasing in his eyes. "Valiant, courageous...foolish, stubborn..." She rolled her eyes and shoved him, albeit gently.

"Yes, and you belong in Hufflepuff," she retorted. His lip curled in disgust.

"Those thumb-sucking brats?" She smiled and patted his shoulder in a supposedly comforting manner.

"So that's why your thumb is always wet," she mock whispered. He scowled and grabbed her arm before pushing the diminished crowd aside and boarding the first available carriage.

* * *

"What is he doing now?" Severus hissed under his breath, and Salene looked up from her conversation with a sixth year. Black was leading Potter and Lupin over to the Slytherin table, smirking directly at her. She glowered in return, and almost slouched in an attempt to not be noticed. However, her childhood lessons mattered more than unwanted attention, and her spine remained straight. 

"Sirius, what's your problem?" a boy remarkably resembling Black demanded, standing up and two hulking gorillas followed after a few seconds of rapid chewing and swallowing. Black rolled his eyes and shook his head, ignoring him firmly.

"Don't mind me, Regulus. I was just staring at Salene across the Hall and decided to get a closer look," he said with a 'charming' grin at her. She found an unexpected blush rising, but managed to scoff anyway. He pouted in a childish manner; folding his arms over his chest and thrusting his lower lip out, his eyes going wide. She snorted and turned her attention back to her plate, very much aware of his presence as he sat across from her and touched the tip of his shoe to hers, his robes gently brushing hers. She was rather appalled when tendrils of fiery pleasure sparked in her leg, and the warmth eventually spread and settled in her stomach uncomfortably. It was puzzling, and irritating, that he was barely touching her, but he elicited a strong reaction.

"Black, I told you to leave my cousin alone," Severus snarled, eyes glittering dangerously. "I suggest you take my advice_ right_ - _this_ - _instant_." He emphasized the last three words, with a pause in between each, and stood.

"I'm not a child, Severus," she said lightly, gently laying her fingertips on her cousin's forearm. "I know enough to protect myself." Severus's face twisted with a rush of emotions before clearing and he sat down heavily, a trace of a scowl still lingering on his face. He began to eat with silent anger, stabbing either his fork or knife savagely into his plate.

"How touching," Potter mocked. "Snivellus cares for someone that's not a paid whore."

"James!" Black barked, and Potter looked for a fraction of a second like he was going to apologize. Severus whipped out his wand, but before he could curse them his wand sent a platter of food crashing into them both.

The entire Hall fell silent momentarily at the disturbance until a Gryffindor stood and yelled, hands cupped around his face, "Food fight!" Already Salene was seeing Gryffindor stupidity at its finest. But she barely had time to dwell on it before the Great Hall erupted in laughs and screams as food was flung everywhere, splattering on anyone and everyone. She grimaced, disgusted, as a fistful of mashed potatoes whirled harmlessly by her face. Then peas, which hit her but rolled intact down her arms and back...but some went down he shirt and she shuddered at the slimy quality.

'_Merlin, this is so disgusting, Merlin help, please - gross_!' The same words ran through her head as she ducked under the table, as if it was her own personal mantra to live by and she needed it memorized. Luckily, Slytherin table was closest to the doors and so she began to crawl, shuddering in disgust at the dirt clinging to the heel of her hands, as well as her knees. Then someone interrupted her by bending and scooping her up and dashing out of the Great Hall. The doors shut heavily behind them, and she was gently set down, though an arm was still wrapped around her waist. "You looked like you were going to pass out." Black smiled, an honest smile, and dragged his hands through his hair to pull it out of his face. He pulled his wand out and a cast a cleansing charm on her, and then himself.

"You made it worse by touching me," she told him with a shiver of disgust. His smile faded and a dark look briefly flashed in his face. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest, surveying her with a tilted head.

"Why do you hate me so much? You don't know me."

"That's the thing," Salene answered. "I do know you, at least well enough to decide if I like you. I know you flirt with one girl, and snog another one the next day. I know you make fun of everyone who you consider below you, and I know you're prejudiced against Slytherins. I know you're the ring leader of Gryffindor, and you expect everyone to worship you."

He was looking directly into her eyes, and her stomach was twisting, but she tried not to let it effect her. "I also know," she continued, in a slightly calmer voice, ignoring him, "that you think you're better than Severus. And that alone makes me dislike you, because Severus is as good as my best friend." Black was silent for a moment, considering this.

"How about we're friends, then?" he offered, sticking his hand out and meeting her eyes. She almost refused, after his blatant disregarding of her words. She had given him reasons for not liking him, and she had meant at all and not just romantically. Then again, he was funny sometimes, and the year would be a lot more bearable if she wasn't insulting and shoving Black at every turn. And the look on Severus's face would be priceless - she loved her cousin but it was so much fun to bug him.

She smiled vaguely and gently shook his hand. "Sure." He grinned and pulled her into the Great Hall without releasing her hand.


	3. Chapter II

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Two

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, Harry, Hermione, and Ron try to find out what happened between Sirius and Salene.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **I've decided to update once a week, because that was original plan but if I do that it'll take, in the very least, a bit less than half a year. More notes at end.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Two:**

Salene leaned against the door frame of her dormitory and studied it critically. The walls were green, and the thick carpet black. A stone fireplace was on the farthest wall, crackling through the silence when it popped. The room contained four beds, two on each side wall and with a single nightstand in between the two. The comforters were a deep emerald, and the sheets and pillows were silver. The drapes were black with silver tassels, and all were pulled back at the moment. A trunk was resting against each bed, one of them open and with a girl kneeled in front of it, muttering under her breath. The girl had silvery hair barely past her ears, but an odd sense of effeminacy, accompanied with a faint silverly glow, surrounded her. However, all three girls looked up almost at the exact instant, friendly enough but mostly curious.

The girl on the front bed on the left stood, and smiled distantly, her arms folding over her chest. She had charcoal hair and glimmering gray eyes, sparked with hidden malice for the general world but was nonetheless quite beautiful. Her figure was slender but still curvy. "I'm Bellatrix Black," she said coolly, her tone blank as her eyes judged Salene.

"Are you Bl-Sirius' cousin?" she asked, correcting herself. If she was going to be friends with...Sirius, she was going to call him by his first name.

"Yes...he's a blood traitor," Bellatrix informed her, tone freezing slightly. "And he's a Mudblood lover. You would do well to stay away from him."

"Are you threatening me?" Salene asked, careful to keep her tone light but meeting the other girl's eyes with unflinching determination. Their gazes stayed locked until Bellatrix glanced down, flushing slightly.

"No, just trying to be helpful," she muttered and carefully situated herself on her bed before reaching up and releasing her drapes from their ties. They immediately covered her from view and the only sound she made the rest of the night was a clearly heard expletive muttered at midnight.

"I'm Claire Fontane," the other girl who had been sitting on her bed spoke up. Salene was relieved to see acceptance in her eyes, and a sneaking feeling told her it was because she had stood up to Bellatrix and not succumbed to her admittedly threatening glare. "That's Kendall Lestrange." She nodded at the girl still burrowing in her trunk, her words coming faster as her desperation became more pronounced. Finally she paused, smirked, and pulled out a thick envelope. Using a long silver nail, she slit it open and emptied the content into her hand. Five or six purple-colored gems fell out, in varying sizes but none bigger than a pinky nail.

"Got it," Kendall said triumphantly, jumping to her feet and slamming the trunk shut, causing Claire to wince.

"Got what?" Salene asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"These crystals were a gift from my parents. These crystals bring out my veela charm, because mine has always been exceptionally weak." She rolled her eyes upward. "My mother blames it on my short hair, but I blame it on the fact my father is the most masculine, chauvinistic pig I have ever met!" Her eyes sparked with anger as she turned away and dropped the gems of the nightstand in between her bed before snuggling under the covers, leaving the drapes pulled open.

"She was cursed with mental instability," Claire confided in an undertone, smiling weakly. "Your bed is the one closest to the fire on the left."

"Next to Bellatrix?" Salene returned in the same lowered voice, although it was a touch more affronted. Claire laughed and shrugged. "Well, good night." She stepped over to her bed and felt Claire's gaze lingering on her. She ignored it the best she could and pulled out her pajamas.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, Salene watched in amazement as Claire scarfed down six pancakes, five sausages, five slices of buttered toast, and two kippers. Then she gulped down eight glasses of pumpkin juice mixed with butterbeer, which Salene knew for a fact upset your stomach. Then Claire jumped to her feet and dashed out of the hall, looking ready to hurl. 

"What was that about?" she asked in amazement as the doors shut behind the girl.

"Fontane's bulimic," Kendall remarked conversationally as she stabbed her fork into the pile of food on her plate. She paused, frowning slightly, and exchanged her fork for a knife before attacking her breakfast with renewed vigor. Salene edged away, purposely ignoring Severus' amused smirk as he slid into the seat next to her.

"Here," he said, handing her a tied scroll. "This is your schedule. We have all the same classes, so I'll show you around." She nodded and scanned her schedule.

"This is a terrible schedule. Runes, Arithmacy, and Divination all in one day." She paused and absently traced the inky letters of one subject with a single finger. "What's this defense class?"

He looked over her shoulder and sighed in irritation. "I forgot you took Advanced Dark Arts, instead of Defense Against Dark Arts." He paused for a few minutes in thought. "We'll just tell Professor Carter you never took the class, and I'll lend you my notes from the previous years." She turned to him, a skeptic look on her face.

"You saved all your notes from every year?"

"Yes," he said shortly. "Now eat." She sneered at him, though more for show than anything else, but did so.

* * *

Hogwarts, it seemed, was not as advanced as Durmstrang in Divination or Arithmacy. However, Runes had covered just a bit more than Salene had, so she only had to borrow the last month's notes from Severus. It didn't help matters, though, that all three classes were with Ravenclaw, and they were show offy and arrogant, and spoiled from their attention for their intelligence. If Slytherins were the bane of Hogwarts, Ravenclaw _had_ to come in close second. 

Lunch, however, was far better than anything the Durmstrang house-elves had ever cooked up, and in a larger quantity. Her appetite had been rather ruined, though, when Claire had repeated breakfast.

"Only two more classes," Salene said, turning to her cousin as they left the Great Hall. "You do have long classes though."

"Yes," Severus replied, sounding very bored. "Here we are. At the Door of Hell. An hour and a half with Gryffindors who think their large masses of immaturity count for growing up." The door had many intricately carved designs on it, with a plaque that read **Defense Against the Dark Arts **in scrolling letters. Salene watched as dragon reared up and blew wooden-carved flames at a cat, who hissed and darted away.

"Merlin, that's a little over done," she remarked sarcastically. She had intended to say the door was interesting but two Gryffindors had been coming, and she did have a reputation to uphold.

"Really? I like it." She half turned in surprise to see a muscular, olive skinned Slytherin standing much too close behind her. His breath tickled her face, and it took all her composure to not wrinkle her nose at the smell. Apparently, he'd never heard of 'personal hygiene'. "I'm Blaise Zabini (A/N his son is Blaise Zabini Jr.). And you look exactly like my future girlfriend."

"You know, Blaise, I understand how _incredibly_ difficult it must have been for you to talk to me, knowing I have no qualms about hexing anything irritating to me. But...I'm just not interested and, therefore, you are irritating."

"So, the Hogsmeade visit in October sounds good to you, right?" Salene stared unbelievingly into his smirking face, and began to reach for her wand. But she paused when a seemingly disembodied hand grabbed Zabini's shoulder and whirled him around.

"Bugger off, Zabini. She said she doesn't like you." Despite the casual smile, there was a threat glinting in Sirius' eyes and not even Zabini could ignore that.

"Oh...all right." And so 'bugger off' Zabini did.

"Hey listen, Salene-" She cut him off but turning on her heels and sweeping into the classroom, her robes billowing. It was a trick she had been taught by Severus, and she smiled faintly at him when he smirked at her.

* * *

"Professor Carter, sir," Salene called, trying to get his attention and at the same time keep her exasperation out of her voice. Carter ended the class by striding into the corridors, and he walked extremely fast, so she was far behind him by the time she fought her way through the students and made her way into the corridors. "Professor Carter!" He stopped and turned around, a curious smile on his face. 

"Yes, my dear?" She ground her teeth together - any affectionate names or titles from adults bothered her immeasurably. Especially from professors who called her Miss Salene Snape.

"As you know, I transferred from Durmstrang this year. We didn't have Defense Against the Dark Arts, so I haven't ever taken it. I know some defensive spells, but most are very basic." His beam seemed to crumple slowly the longer she talked, and at the end he looked tired and sad.

"Ah, you have never experienced the joy of defending yourself. It is such a joy, that it is!" He rested a hand heavily on her shoulder, and she resisted the urge to squirm away. "That is it, Mr. Sirius Black must teach you, love."

"What?" she snapped in surprise. "That lunatic?" Okay, so they weren't quite friends yet, but she was trying.

"He is the best in the class, no competition. Besides, who else would you have tutor you?"

"My cousin Severus."

"No, that will not do one bit. Too much familiarity is not good, because in battles you won't be fighting you cousin. You'll be fighting Death Eaters who won't stop at anything to kill you." A scowl crossed her features at his mention of Death Eaters and the fact he assumed she'd be joining the war, but she brushed it back.

"Of-of course, Professor Carter," she said with a sigh. Like Carter would actually check if she was tutored by Severus or Sirius.

"Excellent. I expect a report from both you and Mr. Sirius Black on my desk by the end of the month. You should have at least four sessions by then. Good Tuesday, Miss Salene Snape." Then he wrenched open the handle of a door he was standing by - a broom closet, it seemed - and stepped inside. She stared at the door for a moment, her thoughts silent in stunned amazement. Merlin, Dumbledore was even worse than she'd suspected. Brilliant and powerful he undoubtedly was, he'd have to be mad to hire Carter.

She shook her head and then realized she had left Severus and didn't know where Transfiguration was.

* * *

"Salene, wait up." Salene turned around at her name, and she bit her lip to restrain the sigh that threatened to escape. "Carter told me he wants me to tutor you." She felt her eyes narrow, but otherwise she remained unaffected, outwardly at least. 

"Oh? And what does Mr. Sirius Black think?" she asked mockingly. He grinned, and for a moment her heart fluttered, before she ground it back into the black hole she had always tried to maintain. The fact that she was failing miserably didn't bother her in the least.

"He thinks it shouldn't be a problem, since he and Mrs. Salene Black...oops, sorry, Miss Salene Snape, agreed to be friends." He was still grinning and a small smile settled on her face, unable to help herself. She could lust after someone once in a while, could she not? It wasn't as if she was going to act on her impulses...

'_Stop_,' she scolded herself, forcing her thoughts back to the present. Not only did Bl...Sirius consider women nothing more than beings created for his sole amusement and pleasure, he went through them as easily as...well, very easily. He had a girlfriend just long enough to seduce her to bed, and then dumped her rudely and unabashedly, using one of his many excuses. Salene didn't see how anyone agreed to still be with him, after his infamous reputation. Yes, so she couldn't get involved with him! And that was that.

"Severus will tutor me," she said evenly, ignoring the smirk that had appeared on his face at her belated reply and unexpected blush. "And if you value you life, you will allow me to pretend you never made that...ah...slip, shall we say?" She smiled gracefully at him, and he returned it, though it didn't look quite so elegant on his chiseled face. Then again, her smile had been passed down from Pureblood mother to Pureblood daughter, just as the sliding/floating walk that made not the slightest movement underneath the robes.

"Why did you transfer from Durmstrang?" he asked unexpectedly. She intended to not answer, but when his firm gaze caught hers, some part of her barrier melted, and she spoke without thinking.

"I refused to be initiated into the Death Eater ranks, serving the pathetic Dark Lord," she answered venomously, and then the horror of what she had done crashed down on her, and she pressed a hand to her open mouth, her eyes dropping to her feet. No one was supposed to know that. When she chanced a look back up, Sirius was grinning broadly. "What?"

"I'm just so relieved you're not a Death Eater like Snivellus," he said, his grin only fading somewhat at the thought of the Slytherin. She scowled faintly, and gave him a gentle shove.

"He's not a Death Eater, and please don't call him that," she said, though the sharp edge to her words showed her please was only manners. Sirius shrugged and there was a tense pause. With a sigh, she realized she wasn't going to get away with having her cousin tutor her. "When should we meet for tutoring? I suggest two nights a week, as long as we are both able." He nodded in consent.

"I have Quidditch Wednesday and Saturday. And there are certain days that are not good for me." Salene read in his eyes it was about the werewolf, and so she didn't ask. Saying his name would make her think of him sitting on Severus' lap, and that was _not_ a vision she wanted at the moment.

"I said as long as we are able," she reminded. "How about, for now, Tuesday and Thursday? Mondays are horrendous, what with starting off the week, and I'm not willing to give up my weekend." The real reason was it was Slytherin Quidditch practice on Sunday, from two to six - appalling in her opinion - and she wanted to watch the team, at least for a bit.

He smiled vaguely as he said, "You're the selfless one in the family, aren't you? Alright then, Tuesday and Thursday it is." There was another lull in the conversation, and Salene decided it would be best to leave. She didn't notice his eyes stayed on her until she turned the corner.

* * *

**End Author's Notes**: Alright, when I was editing this, the whole thing with Blaise just randomly asking Salene out, when she's not pretty or powerful (at least, she doesn't serve Voldemort, which I think Zabini would want to) bothered me. I decided to just say there IS a reason (I mean, a reason that I've written in the story) and to leave it at that. 

Second, I know it seems like I'm talking to myself, seeing as I have no reviews, but I'm talking to the people that read and don't review. Of course, according to my hit counter, I might be talking to myself anyway :)


	4. Chapter III

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Three

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter,

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **At the moment, every time I try to use the 'repy' in review emails, I get a screen that says URL not found in the upper left hand corner. Does anyone else get this? Well, anyway, as soon as I get this fixed/it gets better, I'll reply to the emails I recieved. More notes at the bottom.

**

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Salene dropped her bag on top of the table, satisfied with the heavy clunk her books made against the surface. Her second day at Hogwarts had not been much better; improved only in the fact Slytherin had no morning classes on Tuesday or Thursday, coincidentally enough. She'd had Ancient Runes once more, this time with Hufflepuff, and double Care of Magical Creatures. However, she was looking forward to the next day, when she'd have Potions. It was also extremely irritating to see the Evans girl prancing around with her Head Girl badge displayed as blatantly as possibly. Salene could tell the redhead enjoyed taking off points and assigning detention at every opportunity. Not only was she disgustingly Gryffindor, but Salene had been lined up for Head Girl at Durmstrang, or their version, and she did feel a bit jealous.

"Aww, did Salenieweenie have a bad day?" Black cooed - forget calling him Sirius when he was in such an immature mood - and dropped his bag on the ground, smirking.

"Salenieweenie?" she asked, raising a groomed eyebrow. "Did we not have the discussion of valuing your life already?" He laughed in a manner that made her stomach clench, but she did her best to ignore it.

"I don't recall," he said, mock innocently.

"Or maybe you want to die," she said casually, pulling out her wand. He flinched a bit, and she looked directly in his eyes. "Despite my rather strong teasing, Black, I would never intentionally harm you. I was taking out my wand in the case that the tutor session called for it." He blinked and then smiled, his eyes brightening with a gleam she found deeply unsettling.

"Alright. We'll start off with a few simple spells..."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Salene threw her wand down in frustration and glared threateningly at Sirius. "Every single spell you've asked me to perform hasn't worked. That's impossible. I may not be much for foolish wand waving, but I am not terrible at it. You must be making these spells up." 

"I assure you, I'm not," he said, looking very much like he wanted to laugh. "It could be your wand." Her glare turned somewhat protective and she picked her wand back up, pocketing it. "No, honestly. When the Dark Arts is practiced during...er...maturing and there is no defense taught, except for Dark ways, some wands will resist defense spells strongly, sometimes to the point you can't cast them."

"What do you mean by maturing?" she asked as innocently as she could...which was, admittedly, not very innocent. Even though she had a vague idea he meant the magical equivalent of puberty, she wanted to see what he would say and she couldn't deny it was fun to put him on the spot, considering his obvious dodging on the subject.

"Anyway," Sirius continued, as if she had said nothing, "unless you have any type of a unicorn, veela, or a phoenix core, you'll never be able to cast defense spells."

"I have a unicorn blood core," she informed him and his head snapped up in disbelief.

"A unicorn _blood_ core?" he repeated and then shook his head. "You can't have a core of unicorn blood. Even if you put aside the fact that is one of the darkest substances, the blood gradually loses its magical properties not to mention it's illegal to-"

"I know all of this," she interrupted. He frowned but fell silent. "I have to go back to the store once a year and get my wand refilled. And I know it's Dark, but I did go to Durmstrang. There are fifty unicorn blood wands in existence, because they were ruled illegal soon _after_ they were created, but the Wizengmot decided not to destroy the wands already bought."

"I don't know if I'm exactly 'qualified' to teach you how to cast defense spells," he said after a moment. "It's going to be much harder." For some reason, this sparked a faint, irrational feeling in her. She wanted him to tutor her, all the sudden, and decided to blame it on the fact it would make him miserable.

"Oh, you can't handle it? That's fine. I'm sure we can tell the headmaster how you're too incompetent to teach me...better yet, I'll just tell Severus and he'll tutor me." Sirius growled low in his throat, obviously imagining Severus gloating about how stupid he was, and Salene smiled faintly.

"NO!" he shouted and her eyebrows rose. "I mean, no, that's okay, I'll teach," he stumbled, flushing deeply. "Er, um, tutor, whatever. I can do it."

"Alright then," she said, her smile widening as she stood and slung her back over her shoulder. "Thursday?" He nodded and looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and he suddenly grinned.

"You _want_ me to tutor you," he cried triumphantly, also standing. "You're starting to like me."

"Ridiculous," she snapped and strode out of the room before he could see her blush.

* * *

"You didn't tell me you were an apprentice," Salene said, her voice lowered, as she took the middle-most seat in the front. 

"I figured you would find out yourself," Severus answered with a shrug, then smirked. "I feel bad for you that you have Potions with Gryffindors. Professor Bellamaire hates teaching and students, but especially Gryffindors. She's always in a foul mood." He shuddered as he added, "I think she only took me on because she wants to have an affair."

"What?" Salene said in disbelief. "And you didn't tell the headmaster?"

"I will once I have enough credits to be a professor. Then I can immediately take over." He smirked once more, and then took his seat, which was at his own desk to the left of the professors. Then the doors opened and the entire class fell silent as a woman that looked to be in her early or mid-thirties strode in. Her hair was blond and short and cut in a chopped sort of style - though it wasn't style at all - that made her face appear rounder than it was, and her make up was hastily and much too heavily applied. Obviously, she was undergoing a midlife crisis.

"New school year, but the same problems," she said, glowering at each student. She paused when she got to Salene, and her eyes narrowed. "You're Salene _Snape_?"

"Yes ma'am," she answered, struggling against all the sarcastic remarks running through her mind.

"Sister?" she asked, glaring sourly at the young woman before her.

"No, wife," she said, mock brightly. She caught Severus's scowl and grinned, but was surprised to find the same glare on Sirius' face. Interesting..."I'm just kidding, professor. I'm his cousin."

"Fifty points from Slytherin," Bellamaire snapped and her eyes flashed angrily. "And forty five to Slytherin for...wit." Salene almost snorted but didn't want to lose any more points. Obviously, Professor Bellamaire had a flair for the dramatic, otherwise she would have just taken away five points. And, well, she was wearing hot pink and neon green striped robes, and dangly earring hoops that went past her shoulders, and were the color of a banana peel. That in itself spoke for her dramatic, and slightly insane, self.

"As we were prepared to announce before we ran into this new problem," Bellamaire said, "this year will be one of extreme concentration and application. There will be no slacking tolerated, especially not from-" here she spoke a few choice words that were not acceptable from professors. Salene felt her incredulity grow and decided she couldn't wait for Severus to tell the headmaster about what a terrible and moral-deficit professor this 'Bellamaire' was. Besides, she spoke in the superior version of 'we', referring to herself as more than one person. Then again, she could always be schizophrenic. "Miss Snape! Kindly pay attention. Five points from Slytherin." Salene nodded but the gesture she directed at the professor once her back was turned was anything but kind.

* * *

Despite having a horrid professor, Potions was Salene's favorite subject because it was underappreciated but very, very difficult. Few wizards ever understood this because at secondary schools they never taught anything over class five brews. Class six was the simplest, and therefore none of the intricate potions was studied. Although she enjoyed potions, and could be passionate about them, Severus was obsessed. If anyone ever said potions were easy, or the subject was useless, there was a forty-fifty chance that he would break into a rant, usually at the students but sometimes at the closest (innocent) person. 

"Hey, Salene," Claire said as she took a seat and began to pile her plate.

"Why do you do that?" Salene asked. "It doesn't help you lose weight." Claire's head snapped up, her eyes wide.

"It doesn't?" Claire said, glanced at all the food on her plate, and gently pushed her plate away.

"Now she's going to be anorexic or something," Rachel, Claire's best friend, whispered angrily.

"Take her to the hospital wing," Salene said with a shrug. "It's not my business, and she's not my friend. Besides, you should have intervened long ago." Rachel glared for a moment before storming off in a huff

"I-I think I'll go now," Claire said nervously, wringing her hands. Salene shrugged and also stood.

"I've got to go anyway." She did want a bit more dinner, but Severus knew where the kitchens were so he could always show her.

"Salene, hey, wait up," called a voice from behind her and she turned, knowing it was Sirius. He had Potter and Lupin with him too and she sighed. "Would you like to come to our practice?"

"Oh, good, it'll be so much easier to spy if I have an invitation," she said, mock excitedly. Sirius' eyebrows rose, and she grinned, despite herself. "I'm just kidding. I'll watch if you give me three good reasons." Salene was not expecting him to give her reasons. She didn't think he wanted her to watch him that much, to practically beg in a 'dignified' way. But he did.

"It's fun, it's outside, and I love you," he suggested innocently. Right, so much for being friends. Potter choked, apparently on spit, and Lupin grinned, though he tried to hide it.

"That's only one good reason."

"Which one?"

"All of them." His eyebrows rose once more and she shrugged. "Okay, if you're _that_ smitten with me I guess I can do my homework at the pitch tonight."

"Smitten," Potter said with a sort of snicker, it could be called.

"Do you have a problem with my vocabulary? Or is it just too _expansive_ for you?" she asked, eyes narrowing. Besides Ravenclaws, Bellamaire, and the color pink in any shade Salene hated nothing more than she hated Potter, at least at the moment. From what little she had heard about him, from Severus as well as a few 'admirers' and not to mention that little thing he'd said at the Welcoming Feast, he was just as bad as Black was. And Black was a totally different person than Sirius...

"Are you trying to threaten me with big words?" Potter scoffed.

"Potter...that was actually a good comeback," she said, smiling modestly. "I don't have anything to say to that." He blinked, looking suddenly nerdy with his glasses and a scatter of blemishes scattered across his hairline. Then he grinned rather sheepishly and lost the previous image of 'geek'.

"Er - thanks, I guess," he said uncertainly. There were a few moments of stiff silence, and he spoke up again. "Listen, about the other night-"

"You're not going to earn my forgiveness on that particular subject, Potter, so I suggest you let it go and spare yourself any repercussions from bringing it up again," she told him calmly.

"Right," he said unsteadily. "Right. Sirius, we'd better get to practice."

"I'll be there once I get my school bag," Salene explained when Sirius shot her a questioning look when she didn't start to follow. "Hey, Lupin, can I talk to you?"

"Sure." He looked and sounded very uneasy and a smile crossed her face.

"Calm down, I won't hex you or anything. I wouldn't want to get Severus angry, after all, would I?" Lupin went unexpectedly red - after all, he had kissed Severus in front of her - and nodded distractedly. "I had a question for you. Would it bother you terribly if I asked?" He shook his head without a verbal response and she couldn't resist adding, "Merlin, you're the talkative Marauder, aren't you?" When he remained silent she sighed. "Alright then. What kind of relationship do you have with Severus?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh, and so rude too. I mean, do you see this as a fling, or maybe a way to have his pranks directed at the other Marauders, or just as reassurance that even though you're a werewolf someone can love you? Or do you really want a relationship? And, no he didn't tell me you were lycanthropic I figured it out the first time I saw you and, yes, he loves you - I can tell even if he's never said it." Lupin was silent, but not for more than half a minute.

"Part of what we have is sort of reassurance to me, but that's not why I'm in a relationship with him," he said, each word measured and careful. "I really care for him...love him, even. But sometimes he's so...cold, you know? It's hard." Salene was silent, and then hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"To tell you the truth, Severus' letters got...not happier, but more lighthearted, around the time he said you two got together. He may be a closed book sometimes, but he's worth it." Lupin smiled softly, a far away look in his eyes.

"I know."

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Salene glanced up from her essay and her gaze was caught by a solitary figure zooming around goal hoops, seemingly unorganized and leaving the goals open. She watched with bated breath as the best Chaser of the Gryffindor team flew up and hurled the Quaffle at the left hoop, which Sirius had left completely open.

"Come on," she shouted in frustration at Sirius, standing without meaning to. Then, at the least second, Sirius swooped down and batted the Quaffle away with the end of his broom. He swerved his broom to face her, and she could imagine the self-pleased smirk on his face. She flushed, slightly embarrassed, but pretended to have never reacted as she continued to work diligently on her Charms essay. Occasionally, she looked up for a few seconds to watch Sirius flying aimlessly or make a save but she tried not to pay much attention. The Gryffindor team was fairly good but not enough to be talented, at least as a whole. Potter was undoubtedly the best seeker she'd seen in many years - and she'd seen a lot of teams - and Sirius could pull his own. David Brown was an excellent beater, but otherwise the rest of the team was just 'good', for lack of honed skill and determination.

The captain shouted something unintelligible over the whistling of the wind, at least to her, and the team flew down to the field, landing in perfect harmony. Now, if they could only apply that to their playing. But it didn't matter much to her, because she was cheering Slytherin on. With that thought, she gathered her stuff and decided to leave before any Gryffindor had the chance to bombard her with accusations or insults. As she reached the male locker room, she noticed with curiosity the door was opened, despite the obvious fact there were occupants. She hesitated, then stepped forward, fully intent on shutting the door.

But as she stepped forward, Salene was greeted with the image of Sirius Black nude, his boxers bunched up in his hand. She forced herself to look up to his face, breathless. His hair hung in his face and a bead of water slid from his hair to his neck and continued down his chest, rolling in a wavering path down his stomach and dipping into his belly button before slipping back out and sliding down his hip. Several droplets of water followed, and she found it even more difficult to breathe or even think as her mind spun and her body tingled with what she was seeing. Sirius' shoulders were broad enough to be pleasantly masculine without being intimidating and led to buff arms. His chest was firmly defined and his stomach was sculpted into a six pack, and he had those sort of 'hip handles' that she knew were very hard to obtain.

Then his head lifted and he caught her gaze. His eyes flashed with confusion before they darkened in anger and narrowed. Blood pounded in her ears and prickled her entire body in horror - and shameful lust. "Sirius..." she whispered, her throat still constricted.

"I didn't know you were into voyeurism," he snapped and a wave of self-loathing hit her.

"Sirius, I-"

"Just get out," he said with disgust. "And have your stupid cousin tutor you." He strode forward and slammed the door shut so hard a rather girly shriek came from the lockers, synonymous with the sound of glass shattering. There were several expletives and a few muffled sentences, then all fell silent, except for the sound of showers.

Salene slid to a seat, ignoring the damage the rough wall was doing to her robe. "Merlin, Snape, could you have been any more...UGH!" She banged her head on the wall, though accidentally too hard and flinched, almost crying out. "You're so _stupid_. You finally meet a guy that actually has a sense of humor, sees something past you're hideous surface...though you're interior is probably just as hideous. Not to mention he doesn't run away every time he hears your name, let alone sees you. And you actually like him too. So what do you do? You spy on him when he's in the locker room. Nice of you, huh?" She expelled her frustration in a breath and slammed her palms down on the ground, only to have her left one slap a hand. She jerked back, surprised.

"You like me?" asked a soft voice in her ear. She turned her head and was met with gray-blue eyes, peering intently into her own sapphire orbs. "You honest-to-Merlin like me the way I like you?" He sounded edgy and nervous, but looked utterly adorable in his newfound insecurity. Sirius always acted and looked so aggressive and cocky, but now he looked lost and confused and rather hurt...like an abused puppy meeting its new master. Not the best analogy, surely, but it had some truth in it...

"I think so," she answered after realizing Sirius was waiting for a reply, also a bit distracted by the fact he was shirtless. "But I don't know...it's only been three days. How am I supposed to know whether I _think_ I fancy you, or I really do?" He shrugged and smiled encouragingly.

"There's always a way to find out." And with that he leaned forward and...

A beam of light narrowly missed the both of them and Salene struggled to grasp the situation just as a _stupefy_ hit her and the world went black.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hmm...this post was two days later than I expected (I'm going to try to post every Friday). I was rereading it for some last-minute editing and, at this point, I am extremely dissatisified with the way things are. The first couple of chapters are always my worst (in my opinion) but Salene is way too much of a Mary Sue. Hopefully, her insecurities and faults will start to show more in the next bit. 

**Reviews: **Thanks _SOO_ much to: **Dixio** and **CerealKiller**. Expect a response once my problems get fixed.


	5. Chapter IIII

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Four

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, you find out what happens to Salene and Sirius. Something "bad" happens...

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **I reposted this chapter because last time I was rushed and distracted. The only really noticable change is the scene where Salene and Sirius make up.

**

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**Chapter Four:**

Salene studied the unconscious form before her, anger pounding in her veins, a roaring filling her ears. Severus was so...so...insufferable and...overprotective! Dammit! What right did he have to attack Sirius _while his back was turned_...and about to kiss her? Not to mention, he attacked her in the process, though that was an accident. Madam Pomfrey had healed her up easily, mending her broken arm in five minutes and rubbing salve on her cuts.

She raised her hand to her face and found the deep gashes there were gone. She glanced at Severus, who was standing in silent fury before the headmaster, half listening to his lecture as he scowled at the ground. All the anger left her and she sighed. Severus had it hard enough, he was just trying to make sure one of the few people who did care about him didn't leave...like his mother had. Eventually his abusive father, to Salene he was Uncle Sev - Purebloods loved naming the firstborn son after the father - had driven Aunt Christy (as was her nickname) over the edge. Salene had been visiting with Severus and would never forget her swelled face, bulging empty eyes, the rope tied around her bruised neck...and worse, the bleeding wounds on her wrists, gently dripping. Apparently, she had planned to bleed to death but changed her mind and hung herself. It had hit Salene hard, but not nearly so much as Severus. He had almost died from depression.

"Salene?" She looked up into Severus' onyx eyes, which looked sincere. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. But I stay mostly out of your love life, so please stay out of mine," she said, standing up and surprising even herself by drawing him into a hug.

"Mostly?" he asked, eyebrows arching. "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," she replied vaguely, but flashing him a smirk. "Let's just say Lupin's...quite a catch. Intellectual - more than most of these imbeciles anyway - not bad looking...and he thinks he loves you, though why I'm not sure." Severus went bright red, a rare occurrence. He _never _blushed, nonetheless went scarlet. "Don't worry, I told him you love him too."

"I...You love Black," he snapped, looking uncomfortable.

"I do not. But that's okay, about you and Lupin. Do you know he's a we-"

"Miss Snape, Severus has detention to serve," Professor Dumbledore said kindly. However, something in his eyes told her not to reveal Lupin's secret to Severus. "I believe you have a certain friend in a hospital bed that would like your attention, though unconscious he may be." Salene looked down, ignoring Severus' farewell smirk as he followed the headmaster out of the room.

She turned around and looked at Sirius, now uncertain. She lowered herself to the foot of the bed and drew her knees to her chest, watching his fingers twitch as he slept. A simple _Ennervate _would wake him, but perhaps it was better he was unconscious. She reached out and took his hand, feeling self-conscious, which was rather stupid because the only other person in the room was knocked out. "No one knows how to kill a mood like Severus," she sighed, absently running her thumb across his palm. "This feels really stupid because it's not as if you're in a coma or dying. I could tell you all this in five minutes when you're awake, but I don't think I can handle your reaction. It's not fair, really, that I like you so much in so little time. I've never liked anyone, I was brought up not to. It's not normal for a Snape. Then again, Severus likes Lupin..."

"What?" The boy in bed shot up, eyes opening wide. "Snivellus likes who?"

"You were supposed to be unconscious," she accused, standing and crossing her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing. He looked suddenly abashed and his cheeks colored.

"Well, I know...I woke up about five minutes ago and I didn't really want to open my eyes," he said. He seemed extremely uncomfortable but that only angered her further.

"I was about to pour my heart out to you, and you-" He reached up and pulled Salene's head down to press her lips to his. She resisted for a few seconds, but then relaxed in the kiss. His tongue darted out and slid across her lower lip and she opened her mouth to his, moaning quietly. Then, like a punch in the stomach, she realized what she was doing and she pulled away. "Sirius, we can't." She controlled her breathing, though she noticed Sirius was having a bit of a problem with that. She had somehow ended up straddling him and slid off the bed, standing next to him.

"Why?"

"I can't be one of the girlfriends you forget in another week." He wanted to say something but she didn't let him because she'd turned away and left before she could digest the raw hurt on his face.

* * *

When Salene opened the door and stepped outside a balst of cool air hit her face, almost as physical as a slap. Tears stung her eyes, but she assured herself it was the cold. She stuck her hands in her pockets, an act that was unquestionably a disgrace to the Snape name. But at the moment, she could care less what happened to the Snape image. It wasn't as if she'd done such a great job anyway. 

"Salene?" She froze, stunned at the sound of her voice in Sirius' voice, and the earnestness it portrayed in that single word. "Can we talk?"

She stopped to think about that before shaking her head. "I'll just go back to Durmstrang and be initiated because I'd rather kill people for a living than spend another minute alone with you," she explained, in a tone of forced control.

"Do you really mean that?" This time, the question was sad and defeated. Her eyes closed automatically and she pressed her palms into her eyes, trying to wake herself up. It didn't work. Sirius was still standing a scant feet away, slouched and an unfathomable look in his eyes.

"It's not like that. For the past seventeen years, I've been alone, but not exactly lonely. I can be alone, it's easy, and I...I think I can kill. But I can't..."

"Love," he supplied and she glared.

"I never said I even remotely loved you. I said there's a possibility that I could maybe one day like you."

"That's the sweetest profession of love I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot," he teased. A wry laugh escaped her, and they simply stared at each other for several minutes. "What do we do now?"

"I guess, this," she said softly and stepped forward, kissing him softly and quickly.

"Ah, we kiss," he said, grinning widely. "We made a poem!" She wordlessly smiled in return him, trying to calm her fluttering heart and hoping it was a physical fault - cold, perhaps - and not the side effect of the kiss.

* * *

Salene frowned at what she had written, before scratching out her last sentence angrily, ink staining her hand and forearm. She continued scribbling and then paused, her eyes zooming over the words. She swore and snapped her quill in half, causing ink to squirt across the table and splatter on her face. Then she tore her paper into tiny confetti bits and glared at them once done. "Are you alright?" She looked up, startled, to see Lupin standing over her, frowning lightly in concern. She remained silent, scowling in no specific direction, and he sighed before waving his wand at the mess she had created. "Incendio," he murmured and her scraps of paper disintegrated. 

"Now there's a pile of ashes," she snapped, reaching for her own wand and swishing it. The ashes fluttered into the air and then disappeared altogether.

"What was that?" he asked curiously, seeming to disregard her tone.

"It's a spell that turns an object, or objects, into oxygen," she explained, sighing and rubbing her temples. "Very useful when a rope or a snake is cutting off your air supply. Not only are the restraints gone, but you have a fresh supply of air floating in front of you." He ducked his head to hide a smile and took a seat across from her.

"What had you so angry?"

"I told Sirius you and Severus were together," she said, carefully studying her still-stained fingers. "And," she continued, ignoring his sudden glare, mingled with horror, "when I told Severus a few days ago he got so angry he hexed me so I can't talk to Sirius for a week. I'm writing out my frustrations, but it results for a poor quality essay."

"Why would that bother you?" He seemed genuinely interested, and for a moment she paused to consider why. Then she realized...she was his boyfriend's cousin. And she was most likely Severus' best friend.

"Ask Sirius."

"Well...I was actually wondering if you knew where Severus was. I haven't seen him since his last detention on Thursday," he said. She looked up, eyes flashing in alarm, going visibly paler. He'd been gone three days?

"He wasn't in any classes on Friday, either. I figured he was sick." Salene rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. "Did you two...ever discuss the war?" She hated bringing it up, because it was pinning suspicion on Severus and planting seeds of distrust in Lupin's mind. But it had to be done.

"Er - not really. I just figured he wouldn't want to be a Death Eater...I'm a so-called Mudblood, after all," he said, shifting in his seat. "You don't think he would, do you?"

"Severus...is a very hypocritical man. There is a chance he was initiated, but there is just as large a chance he wasn't. As soon as he comes back I'll talk with him...but please don't approach him. If I find out anything, I'll tell you." Lupin smiled and stood.

"Do all Snapes have a...not so biting interior?" he asked, studying her thoughtfully.

"No," she answered, closing her emotions once more. "Normally their interior is much worse than their exterior." She also stood and began to carefully pack her bags away as Lupin shook his head and left the library. It wasn't until she straightened and also began to exit that she noticed Madam Pince had been glaring at her the entire time.

* * *

The door to the common room opened and Salene's head snapped up in time to see Severus limp in, clutching his arm and trembling uncontrollably. "What happened?" she asked, her anger replaced with anxiety. "_Lumos_." The dim form of Severus lit up before her, and had she been anyone else her dinner contents would have been spilled across the carpet. As it was, she had seen both her parents in similar states, and knew immediately what had happened. And even though she knew, she hoped against hope she was wrong. "Severus, tell me you didn't..." 

"I did," he growled savagely. "Are you going to run to Dumbledore? Better yet, your stupid bo-" He cut off abruptly as she buried her face in her hands and began to cry, silently and softly, but still producing tears. "...Salene?"

"How could you? How _could_ you? Pretty much all suffering in the Wizarding world is because of him. He keeps people awake all night, terrified of being attacked. He makes the best of friends hate each other because of a suspicion that was normally wrong." She met his eyes for the first time, sapphire challenging onyx. "He killed your mother."

"What?" He lurched back, fingers tightening on his forearm, and for half a second she to paused to wonder on it. "She killed herself."

"Technically, yes. But it was only after your father entered the service of Voldemort that he started beating her and you-" Once again, she was cut off, this time by a sharp backhand across her face. She tumbled backward, half unaware she had risen, and stared at her cousin with wide eyes, a hand pressed to her cheek.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he snarled, hands now balled into fists.

"A better person than you," she answered with quiet venom and turned on her heel to stomp into the dormitory. Bellatrix was sitting up, fully alert, and grinning wickedly. The fireplace had been lit and, by the faint shimmer of silver in the air surrounding it, a silencing charm on Bellatrix's bed. Kendall and Claire were suspiciously still, when Salene knew Kendall often screamed in her sleep and Claire was prone to rolling out of bed. "Yes?" she asked warily, face still stinging as she subtly reached for her wand.

"This is from my master," Bellatrix whispered and, before Salene could fully process the statement - she was half asleep and struggling with tears - a hex was flung at her and she crumbled to the ground, unconscious for the second time that day.

* * *

The first thing Salene saw when her eyes fluttered open was Claire peering anxiously into her face, a potion clutched tightly in her hand. "Oh God, are you okay?" she fretted, shoving the phial into the other girl's hand. "Drink this. It heals internal bleeding, and I have some cream for you to rub on any cuts. I have no idea what she did to you, but it looked like it hurt. Oh my God, I can't believe her..." Salene's hand wandered across her nightstand and froze when she didn't find her wand. "Oh, right," Claire said, smacking her head before reaching into her robes. "I nicked it for you. Bellatrix was furious..." she trailed off once more as Salene closed her fingers around the familiar, slightly pulsing - with magic - handle of her wand. 

"Thanks," she said, setting the potion down on her nightstand and ignoring the ripping pain that jolted through her every time she moved. She could handle this, and she would not give Bellatrix the satisfaction of knowing how much she had hurt her. Telling would be doing just that, and personal revenge was much sweeter. "Listen, you have to keep this a secret. You may not understand, but if you don't agree to keep quiet I'll have to obliviate you, and I honestly don't want to do that." Claire nodded, suddenly tight-lipped and white, disapproving. "What?"

Claire shook her head and remained silent for all of three seconds. "You're sating her twisted lust for power! She wanted to hurt you enough that you'd be scared to tell the headmaster. You have to tell!" Salene sighed, wondering how in Salazar's name the girl before her had been sorted into Slytherin.

"Look, you can whine on and on about this, or you can help me get revenge." This statement brought a wicked smirk to Claire's face and she settled more comfortably on the bed, answering Salene's silent question immediately.

* * *

**End Author's Notes: **Thanks goes out to **CerealKiller** for the review, and to those who (possibly) are reading and enjoying, but not reviewing. I appreciate the effort anyway.  



	6. Chapter V

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Five

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, Claire, Salene, and Severus seek revenge on Bellatrix. But something goes terribly wrong...

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **First of all, I feel this chapter was pathetically dramatic. During editing, I rewrote (as in deleted) a scene where Salene knows that Voldemort is really Tom Riddle...nothing more that I can say without ruining the chapter. More notes at the end though.

* * *

**This chapter is dedicated to L.B. - who took the cowards way out, but was still the bravest person I know.**

* * *

Even though Sirius looked boring in black robes, he looked utterly sexy in black clothes, especially the way he had styled his hair that day. It was tossed about as if he had just rolled out of bed, but still carried the same silkiness that was natural. He had on a form-hugging turtleneck and jeans that looked suspiciously familiar. 

"Enjoying the view?" Her eyes snapped up to Potter, who looked as if he was struggling against a grin. "Personally, I think he should lose the jeans. They look better on Evans."

"He stole clothes from a girl to wear?" she asked, eyebrows raising. "Why do I believe that?"

"Yeah, he's trying to impress you, and apparently something you said made him think he looked good in girls' jeans," Potter explained, jamming his hands in his pockets as a sour look of irritation settled on his face. "And he didn't have to steal. Evans willingly gave them to him. She thinks they're in love or something." She could tell his teeth were clenched as he nodded at the two of them, smiling at each other about something.

"I'll just have to fix that misconception," she said lightly, feeling a stab of jealousy at the look on Sirius' face. It was quite obvious the two were good friends and enjoyed each other's company. Despite being officially 'together' - he had asked and given her a ring - for a month, he was still struggling with not flirting at every opportunity. He was getting better, but sometimes she worried...

"Sirius!" she called, hurrying forward. A brief scowl crossed Evans face but then it brightened when she saw Salene and Potter, the latter of whom she had only started tolerating the end of the sixth year, but was becoming fast friends with. "How are you?" she asked, and he grinned and her heart fluttered but she remained calm on the outside.

"Now that you mention it...I am feeling a bit ill. Maybe I suffer from separation anxiety," he suggested. She rolled her eyes but hid a smile by rubbing her nose.

"Or maybe you suffer from extreme stupidity."

"That was not nice," he said, pouting the way he had at the Welcoming Feast. It hadn't triggered a reaction then but she felt her heart melting a little. "I think you should kiss me and make it better." Salene did not fully register Evans' gasp as she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his, only to have him wrap an arm around her and pull her closer. He licked her lip and she shivered but pulled away and smiled at him.

"Better?" He answered by grinning slyly, dancing fingertips across her back. "I need to go," she said, lightly pulling herself from his arms. In reality, physical contact made her extremely nervous, especially in front of two wide-eyed Gryffindors. It was then she caught a glimpse of Evans' shell shocked face, and Potter's oddly self-satisfied smirk. "Evans, you're the Head Girl - you're supposed to be smart. I would've expected you to figure it out." The look on the other girl's face was priceless, but she didn't let herself even snicker until she had rounded the corner. Then, she leaned against the wall and enjoyed a private laugh...until Claire ran up, grinning madly.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, twisting a thick fistful of hair in her fingers as she did when she was excited or nervous. Salene had a feeling it was the former. And no sooner had she nodded casually, arching an eyebrow, then she was grabbed by the arm and dragged into the nearest empty classroom. A thin layer of dust was settled on the entire room, and there was a rough chunk of stone wall missing beside the door. She ran her fingers over it with interest as Claire locked the door with her wand and then leaned against a desk, grinning proudly.

"I think you're overreacting just a tad," Salene said, demonstrating 'a tad' with her fingers. Claire raised her eyebrows at the somewhat playful gesture, but a silly grin stayed on her face.

"Sure, of course. But...by five tonight, Bellatrix Black won't be a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry anymore." Neither girl knew how prophetic that statement was.

* * *

Salene walked around the corner, a hand casually clutching her wand, limp at her side. Claire, wearing a Delusional Cloak, was walking sideways behind her. Although it provided invisibility, the Delusional Cloak made your body's directional sense fail. To walk forward, you had to want to walk diagonally backwards, and to walk backwards you had to want to walk in little sashaying steps. And if you wanted to walk forward, as Claire did, you walked sideways. Personally, Salene preferred a Disillusionment charm...but to each his own. She didn't have to cover up for this particular 'mission', after all. Claire had taken the whole thing very seriously, and even assigned nicknames. Severus (Salene had 'forgotten' their argument for more pressing matters, but had engraved it on her mind to talk to him about it) was Midnight Moose, Salene was Twilight Tortoise, and Claire herself was Sunrise Stallion...Salene didn't question her use of stallion. No amount of hexing had persuaded her to remove the nicknames, and so Severus and Salene suffered in tense silence. Although the nickname Bellatrix had - Poison Xxeg - actually made sense, at least in Claire's world. She thought poison xxeg (a foreign flower with black-purple petals and thorns the width of a fingernail and a meter long) was beautiful, but it was supposedly poisonous when swallowed. No one had ever bothered to taste it and find out. 

"Twilight tortoise," Claire whispered and she didn't even bother turning around to answer the name. For Salazar's Sake, _tortoise_? She couldn't have even been able to be creative enough to use something like thestral. She had to use _Muggle_ animals. "Twi-"

"Shut up," Salene hissed, stopping purposely so Claire ran into her, sticking out her elbow as she did so and causing Claire to lose her breath. "Someone's going to hear you." Then she resumed walking with a slightly quickened pace, recognizing the voice that was reverberating through the corridors, joking with his friends.

"Salene? Where's the fire?" She sighed and clenched her hands, acting. She hadn't expected it would work so soon.

"Zabini, I would never run from a fire because I could put it out myself," she said impatiently, not understanding the Muggle reference, then added when he opened his mouth to speak, "I would love to debate this with you, but I've got to go." She started to turn, but her arm was grabbed in a hold bordering on threatening in its tightness.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" His eyes glinted as she surveyed him with unhidden dislike.

"I have someone to meet. A friend," she said flatly, attempting to rip her arm out of Zabini's hold. Where was her undercover spy (Claire) when she was needed?

"Who?" He was challenging her - he thought she was lying. And he wanted to threaten whatever person's name she gave - for, he was assuming it was a boy. For that reason, she met his eyes and spoke clearly when she answered.

"Bellatrix Black." His face paled but then took on a steely look of determination and took off in long strides.

"You don't think he's really going after her, do you?" Claire asked, somewhat anxiously, at Salene's side. She shook her head, though there was a twinge - briefly - in her conscience.

"No, he's not that stupid. He'll go to Hogsmeade, just like we want, to try and pursue me again. Then he'll go after Bellatrix and people will intervene before anything serious happens. Bellatrix gets-"

"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?" Claire interrupted. Salene scowled and she immediately backed off, half raising her arms as if defending herself. Salene almost smiled at that before continuing on to Hogsmeade.

* * *

Salene felt her mouth drop in horror as Zabini crumpled to the ground, blood oozing from his once handsome face. Claire's fingers were cutting off the blood circulation in her arm, but she was too caught up in the scene before her to notice. 

"What?" Bellatrix snarled. "Are you going to rat me out? I know some _very_ powerful people are unhappy with you, and I could help them capture you-" she broke off with a cold laugh, eyes narrowing. "I'm sure you know what the Dark Lord does with deserters." A shiver ran through her before she collected herself, glaring back at the Death Eater before her.

"I'm not a deserter because I never lowered myself to kissing the hems of a demented Mudblood," she said coldly, though inside she was quivering in fear.

"You lie," Bellatrix spat out, teeth clenched. "My Lord-"

"-is a pathetic Mudblood, and nothing you say can change that."

Bellatrix was silent and white-faced, her eyes roaming the classroom as if hoping the Dark Lord would Apparate in and save her. Finally, she said, "Even if that was true - which it isn't, and I will deal with you personally, you disgusting liar - the entire Wizarding world fears to say his name, cowers when it is spoken. Even you, who claim independence and power over him, won't say his name. Cowering under the shadows of your beloved, Mudblood-loving fool Dumbledore will do you no good. But, alas, I suppose it is all you are good for."

There were a few moments of tense silence before Salene pocketed her wand and said calmly, "_Voldemort_ is a life destroying monster that deserves to forever burn in hell." Then she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, leaving behind a flabbergasted Claire and an enraged Bellatrix.

She walked through the halls but didn't run into anyone. She cursed the fact it was a Hogsmeade weekend and broke into a run, intent on getting Madam Pomfrey. Halfway to the hospital wing, however, she was stopped by a hand grabbing her from behind. She whirled around angrily, reaching for her wand, and then stopped when she saw Sirius, looking concerned. Potter was standing beside him, frowning at the emotions running through her face. "What's wrong?" Sirius asked, reaching up to smooth her windswept hair. She jerked away from his touch while yanking her arm from his grip.

"I need Pomfrey," she whispered. "Bellatrix...Bellatrix, she..." Salene drew in a ragged breath. "I'll explain later. But I need Pomfrey. Now." Potter and Sirius exchanged glances.

"James, can you get her and then use the map?" he asked. "I'll go with Salene." Potter nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a blank piece of parchment and his wand before leaving in the direction he had come. She frowned but didn't waste time thinking about it as Sirius grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. "Tell me what happened," he said. She drew in a shuddering breath and let it out before turning and sprinting back to the room. Sirius stood, stunned, before slowly following.

* * *

"Oh my!" Pomfrey explained, a hand going to her mouth. Claire was kneeled by Zabini, looking like she was crying blood. In reality, she had wiped her face with bloody hands and the tears were smearing the blood, dripping onto the unconscious man before her. "Girl, get out of the way," she snapped harshly, shoving Claire aside and examining Zabini. "I can't do anything for him here," she said with a shake of her head, levitating him. She left the room briskly, shooting a glare at Salene as she passed. "You two better have a good explanation for this," she added. Then she left, casting anxious glances at him. 

There were a few moments of tense silence and then Salene turned sunk down to the ground, staring at the pool of blood Zabini had left behind. "My God," Potter choked out eventually, voice hard. "What were you two doing?" Claire sobbed harder, tightened her hands on her face, and Salene looked at him wordlessly. "Well? Don't tell me you didn't mean for Zabini to-"

"We didn't." It was Severus this time, who had suddenly appeared as though having Apparated. His face was whiter than usually as he surveyed the scene before him.

"You were involved too, Snivellus?"

"Midnight Moose," Claire suddenly whispered. "Midnight Moose...y-you don't think he's d-dead..." she trailed off, dropping her face to her knees and beginning to shake with tears, this time quietly. More silence ensued, until Salene stood up and walked over to the puddle of blood, looking down indifferently. Then she withdrew her wand and put the tip to her palm.

"I'm sorry, Blaise," she said in a low voice and then drew her wand across her hand before putting her palm down. Her blood began to drip, slowly at first and then faster, mixing with his. Severus, a look of dawning comprehension, stepped forward and did the same thing. Then they put their hands together, mixing their own blood and whispering an incantation in a foreign language. When their hands separated both wounds were healed, with only identical scars in the shape of a lightening bolt on their palm.

"He'll be fine now." She made a faint noise of agreement before crumpling to the ground. Severus would have caught her if he had not collapsed at the same moment.

* * *

**End Author's Notes: **I seem to favor cliff hangers...Anyway, I realize the fact that they have a lightning bolt scar seems too...I don't know, clichéd perhaps, but if I recall correctly Hagrid (or some other character in the beginning of the first book) says a scar is the mark of any dark curse, not just _Avada Kedavra_. 

_Huge_ thanks go out to **Cereal Killer**.


	7. Chapter VI

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Six 

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **Nothing to say about this chapter, it pretty much speaks for itself.

**

* * *

**

When Salene opened her eyes, she had to blink several times to clear them from fuzziness. Her head pounded and her hand felt oddly heavy. Wait, no, someone was holding it. She twisted her head to the left with a minimal amount of pain and saw Sirius clutching her hand, head tipped back as he slept, lips parted and a soft snore coming from him. She smiled faintly and looked to the right and saw Severus reclining in the bed next to her, head to one side and his chest rising with every inhale. He was paler than usual, but she felt positive she was too. Across from her, Zabini was sitting, flicking dispiritedly through a magazine, his eyes barely glancing at the page before he turned another. He, unlike Severus and herself, had a healthy look and seemed to be in perfect condition, other than his apparently depressed state.

"I'm not mad at you," he said, speaking suddenly and starling her. "Maybe a little hurt that you used me as a pawn, but not angry." He turned another page and sent her a sly smile. "But of course, now you owe me. A lot." She couldn't help but snort and he looked up, puzzled.

"I don't owe you anything. I forfeited five years of my life to save you, and that is worth more than anything I could ever do." She caught his interest with this statement and she went on to explain, albeit without much detail. "Severus and I performed a blood exchange with the blood you left on the floor. Combined, we gave you ten years worth of life, which enabled you to heal. Without the exchange, you likely would have died." She flashed him a smirk. "I don't owe you anything." He frowned but remained silent, relaxing in his pillows and seeming to think for a while.

"You could at least give me a kiss." He flashed her a supposedly dazzling smile and she shrugged before gently releasing her hand from Sirius's grip and testing out her legs. They were a bit shaky, but otherwise worked fine as she crossed the room, grabbed Zabini's wand, and Conjured a pound worth of chocolate wrapped in foil, presenting it to Zabini.

"A chocolate kiss, much larger than normal." Zabini accepted it with a grin, shaking his head, peeling back the foil and breaking off a bite size chunk as she returned to her bed and took Sirius's hand once more. There were several minutes of silence, except for the rustle of foil and magazine pages, and Salene was just drifting off to sleep when Professor Dumbledore strode in. His heavy steps, along with Salene flinching away, stirred Sirius from his nap.

"'Sappen?" he muttered drowsily.

"Good to see you are awake, Mr. Black," Professor Dumbledore responded pleasantly. She looked up at the subtle disappointment in his voice. Sirius was studying her without expression, and Zabini was watching Dumbledore with a faint frown. "I think it would be better if Severus was awake..._Ennervate_." Severus suddenly jolted to a sitting position eyes wide, and blinked twice.

"Salene...what's going on?"

"Professor Dumbledore was just about to explain," she said, sitting up perfectly straight. "Sirius, you might want to leave."

"If you're going to be expelled, I don't want to spend the last few minutes you have here away from you," he said in an undertone, reaching out to squeeze her hand. She flushed, because even though his voice was low her cousin and headmaster had obviously heard.

"Not to worry," Professor Dumbledore said, though his face was grave. "No one's being expelled today. You would have been, as well as your cousin and Miss Fontane, but Mr. Zabini was very adamant that you three stay."

"They should be getting awards for getting rid of Bellatrix," Sirius muttered. Dumbledore admonished Sirius lightly for his comment and Salene frowned.

"'Getting rid of'?" she quoted. "What do you mean?" Professor Dumbledore answered.

"That is the second thing I came to discuss with you. Due to her method of attacking Mr. Zabini and the inflicted damage to his physical well-being, Miss Black will be serving six months for the assault...in Azkaban. She will be serving an additional five years for confirmed Death Eater activity." It was obvious that despite his disappointment and anger, for lack of better words, in/at Bellatrix, he thought the punishment was much too harsh for a seventeen-year-old. Salene wholeheartedly disagreed.

"Is that all, sir?" Severus' voice drew her from her thoughts and she returned to the present.

"Of course, we are still punishing you. You have a month worth of detention and you are forbidden to go on any of the Hogsmeade trips the rest of the school year. And I expect you two to apologize to Mr. Zabini. Miss Fontane has already done so, and has decided to withdraw from Hogwarts permanently to reside in St. Mungo's while her mind heals from trauma.." Salene looked down, feeling fresh waves of guilt, as Zabini spoke up.

"Sir...when will I be able to leave the hospital?" Despite his casual tone, his eyes belied his desperation to leave.

"Ah yes, of course, you can leave now," Dumbledore replied, beaming. Zabini stood and was out before Dumbledore could say another word. "Good day, Mr. and Miss Snape, Mr. Black." He whirled around, robes swirling and left the infirmary, the door banging slightly behind him.

"Don't worry, you can go to Hogsmeade any time you can like," Sirius said, resting his chin on Salene's stomach and grinning up at her. His breath tickled her - but not in the laughing sort of way - and his hands were resting lightly on her hips.

"Really?" she managed, looking up and away, licking her mysteriously dry lips.

"Yep. I'll show you when you get out of here." He grinned once more before leaning up and kissing her gently. "I've got to go. Homework and all that. I'll be back later, okay?" She nodded and the moment he left she rolled over, stuck her face into her pillow, and let out an entirely undignified squeal.

"That was definitely not a G rated show of affection," Severus said icily. Salene stood and pounced on him, grinning at his horrified expression.

"Severus...say you're in love with Lupin," she teased, leaning her face closer, eyes challenging his. She felt the same way she had when she's accidentally inhaled a bit of yolk from a dragon egg - she probably felt the way she did because of the drugs Madam Pomfrey had given her.

"Salene, I'm-"

"Say it!"

"You're-"

"Say it!"

"I love Remus!" he shouted, just as none other than Remus Lupin opened the infirmary door.

"Um...I'm hoping you're not forcing yourself on him and he's using me to put you off," he said dryly.

"Remus!" Severus said, going red. Salene smiled to herself and went back to her own bed, looking in the other direction but listening intently.

"You never said that to me," came Lupin's soft voice, apparently sitting as the bed creaked.

"Well, I do...love you."

"I lo...Severus, what's that?" Salene rolled over, surprised by the sudden panic in Lupin's voice. Severus's forearm was clearly revealed, his sleeve having fallen down to his elbow. The imprinted mark stood out clearly against his pale skin. "Is that...the Dark Mark? Are you a Death Eater?" Lupin stood, eyes flashing. His face was drained of all color and his posture stiff.

"Remus, listen, please. I am a Death Eater, but I-" Lupin cut him off by storming over to the door and wrenching it open, then pausing.

"We're over, Snivellus," he said coldly and left.

"But I'm a spy now," Severus protested to the air. Salene's heart wrenched and she walked over to his bed once more. He looked into her eyes, his own suddenly hollow. "I am." Something inside her crumbled and she slid her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.

"It'll be okay," she whispered in his ear, as though he was crying. And she knew on the inside he was. "It'll be okay."

* * *

A week later, Salene entered the room she had her Defense tutoring in, only to find all three of the Marauders in the room. She swallowed, carefully avoiding looking at anyone but Sirius. But that was worse. He had bags under his eyes, and he looked tired and stressed. His normally sleek hair was as bad, if not worse, than Potter's. She a took a seat silently across from them, studying the grain of the table. Fascinating, really. 

"Salene...are you a Death Eater too?" She looked up, her surprise quickly turning to anger.

"Oh yes, of course, that's why I ran away from home because they were forcing me to be initiated. In reality, I just preferred to lose my family, my friends, and my Head Girl status to be a Death Eater in a completely foreign civilization," she answered sarcastically.

"Can...can I see..."

"If you don't trust me, _Black_, just end this. End us. Because I don't have to prove myself to you. I said I'm not a Death Eater, and if you can't take my word for it, I don't want to be with you." She looked down once more, surprised by the tears springing to her eyes. There was silence and she got to her feet, slinging her back over her shoulder. "And Severus is a spy for the light side, Lupin. And you'd know that if you'd stayed for five seconds. I don't care if you were scared, or surprised, or anything. You were the first person he's ever opened up to. He said he loved you. And you broke up with him. Now _that's_ what I call class." Then she turned her back on them and strode out into the corridors.

* * *

The sky was violet and star strewn as Salene stripped off her clothes and jumped into the lake. Of course, skinny dipping was against school rules but considering the fact she was out two hours past curfew and swimming in the lake was strictly forbidden, skinny dipping was not the worst of what she was doing, believe it or not. She knew breaking so many rules after narrowly missing expulsion so recently was not very smart but she needed a release; to do something spontaneous and rebellious. The first thing that had come to her mind was a one night stand, but she didn't want her virginity taken that way...and allowing _Black_ to have so much control over her life wouldn't be smart either. Then, she had actually considered becoming a Death Eater but rejected it as soon as it had entered her mind. For many obvious, and some not so obvious, reasons. She was glad there weren't any available baldes, or else they might have helped her calm down... 

She sighed, breaking from her thoughts, and dove into the water, eyes open and a spell allowing her to see. Misshapen fish swam everywhere, jerking away from each other if they got too near. Strangely colored plants swayed harmlessly, occasionally picking their roots out of the bottom and moving for a few inches to the left. The hazy form of the giant squid was slowly become larger, and she swam up to the surface, floating on her back, arms outstretched. The full moon seemed to glower down at her and she thought of Lupin. Lupin, who had betrayed Severus so badly, who pretended to be innocent with the pranks his friends pulled. She barked out laughter at the thought of Lupin. He really had the whole world fooled...

A howl pierced the silence and a chill went down her spine. That was a werewolf's call. Salene was many things, but stupid was not one of them, and waiting around for a werewolf to maul her to death - or, perhaps even worse, turn her into a werewolf - was definitely stupid. She got out of the water and cast a drying spell on herself before dressing. She had not fully buttoned up her robes when another howl reached her. She abandoned her attempts and, clutching her wand tightly, began walking towards the castle. Every nerve in her body was telling her to run but she knew if there was a werewolf she would only attract him more by running.

Then, there was a snarl to her left and she half turned, only to be attacked from behind, slammed into the ground and a sear of pain jolting through her leg, causing her to cry out. She could see the werewolf in front of her, eyes glowing as it growled, but something with four legs was clearly holding her down...protecting her. She felt comforted, despite the fact that the something was a snarling, snapping something. The werewolf lurched forward, teeth bared, and the something launched itself at him and they rolled away, slashing with claws, biting at each other's throats.

Salene felt the ground around her blindly, searching for her wand, and it was several breathless moments before her fingers closed around it. She tried to stand but her apparently broken leg simply wouldn't support her weight. There was a howl of pain and she saw it was coming from the Grim-like mutt that had been protecting her. She hesitated, knowing if her spell missed she wouldn't have time to cast another spell before the werewolf was on her, but finally her conscience (or what little remaiend of it) won out and she aimed a stunning spell at the werewolf. She sucked in her breath when he began to move but then saw the dog was simply untangling himself. She sighed in relief and turned her mind back on the task at hand. She could cast a levitating charm on herself and-

Her thoughts broke off as she realized there was no longer a black dog sprawled before her, but instead a very hurt, unconscious wizard. The wizard Sirius Black to be precise. She turned her gaze to the werewolf, guessing it was Lupin, and frowned as she thought. There was no way for her to somehow carry Sirius, magically or not, and still make it back to the castle before the spell wore off. Well, maybe she could levitate Sirius and crawl back to the castle...

Then, almost as suddenly as she had been tackled, a male deer galloped out of the forest, gently picked up werewolf with his antlers and made his way to the Whomping Willow. He took a fallen branch in his mouth, prodded something, and a hole appeared in the base of the trunk as the branches froze. Lupin was unceremoniously dumped in the hole and the stag came back. Then, silently, James Potter was standing in his place.

"You can't tell anyone," he said, begging. "Please?" She nodded, not trusting her voice at all. Either Potter and Si...Black were shape shifters (highly unlikely) or they were Animagus (even more unlikely). "We'll explain," Potter added.

"My leg is broke," she whispered and then cleared her throat, displeased at the husky quality it had taken on. "I don't know healing spells for it." Potter nodded and pointed his wand at her. He muttered something and a glowing orb about the size of her thumb rose from her robes and settled on a point just above her knee. He frowned and knelt beside her.

"Sirius did a job on you," he said with a sigh, placing a hand right over the orb, though it simply floated through his hand and hovered there. He began chanting in a language she didn't recognize, which wasn't all that surprising considering she only knew English and Bulgarian. The blue orb contracted until it was the size of the pea and then exploded in light so bright she had to cover her eyes. When she removed her hands, Potter was standing, a hand offered to her, the pain in her leg gone. She took his hand, testing out her leg gingerly. It felt perfectly fine and when she took a few steps forward she didn't collapse or suddenly become pained. She turned to him and licked her lips, nervous.

"That was pretty advanced magic...thank you." He just shrugged and jammed his hands.

"Sirius loves you, how could I not help?" She turned her head, feeling a blush coming on. "You did the same to him Remus did to Snape. You know that, don't you?" Before she could help herself, she was nose to nose with Potter, who was the same height as her.

"Don't you dare compare what I did to what Lupin did," she snarled, spitting Lupin out the way she had Voldemort. "For one thing, I haven't been going out with S-Black for _two years_." As she finished the sentence, she gave Potter a little shove. "For another thing, I gave Black over two minutes to say something, and Lupin charged out in the middle of Severus' sentence. So don't you dare...don't you dare..." And then, with no reason or warning, she burst out crying. Salene stood there, her head in her hands, sobbing with Potter before her; shedding the tears she never had over Black's betrayal. Oh, to hell with it, _Sirius' _betrayal. And she was crying for the injustice on Severus' part, that he had built up such a cold image and couldn't afford to do anything about his pain.

Then, suddenly, she was enveloped in a tight hug and she stiffened. She thought it was Potter and was about to push him away when a familiar voice spoke in her ear, hot breath blowing down her neck. "Salene...I'm sorry." She looked up into Sirius' face, which was all eagerness and honesty.

"You're bleeding," she whispered, reaching up and touching her fingertips on her cheek. When her fingers drew away, he looked slightly startled to see the blood there.

"It's probably not my blood," he said with an anxious glance towards the Whomping Willow. "The only damage I took was all here." And with that, he lifted up his shirt to reveal a tangle of cuts, varying in depth, and bruised flesh.

"Merlin," Salene breathed as Potter let loose a string of curses. "You need to get to the hospital wing." He shook his head, glancing at Potter.

"We're illegal Animagus, Salene, and my marks are clearly from a werewolf. There's no way I could explain these without getting chucked into Azkaban for a few months. That's why James and I spent the last three summers mastering healing magic," he explained, taking her by the chin and looking deep into her eyes. Her breath caught and her awareness of him changed as she realized exactly how close to Sirius she was. Her body was pressed tightly against his, an arm wrapped around her waist, fingers resting on her cheek. Something inside her snapped at the physical contact and she shoved him away, suddenly scowling, all her hurt flooding her once more.

"I don't forgive you, Black," she spat, turning on her heel and fleeing.

**End Author's Notes: **The next chapter will be up today (most likely in ten-fifteen minutes) because it's an extremely short chapter and I, most likely, will not be able to update until 2006. So, Happy Holidays!

Thank you to **CerealKiller** - you can have Sirius :)


	8. Chapter VII

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Seven

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time. In this chapter, Severus misses Remus...

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. This chapter contains PG-13 sexual situations between two MEN. If you don't like that, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **This is an exceedingly short chapter because I wanted to get inside Severus's head for a bit. Especially after reading the sixth book, he is my favorite character to write - he has so many layers (most of them rotten) and even though we know so much about him, he's still so unexplored. Of coruse, the fact that I have been "in love" with him since reading the first book (I read it about five months after it came out, and I was extremely young) helps a bit...:) Enough rambling, on with the chapter.

* * *

"Disgusting." 

"...course...a Snape..."

"...whore..._Imperius_," added a matter-of-fact voice.

"What is going on?" Severus shouted abruptly, sitting up and glaring around the gathered students, ire in his voice and eyes. Salene also awoke at his yell, eyes swollen from crying and sleeping.

"You slept with your cousin, Severus?" asked a smirking fifth year boy. For a moment, Severus looked honestly confused, but then he recalled the night before, when a weeping and thoroughly confused Salene had crawled into his bed and begged to share his bed, like they had when they were younger. He had placed a silencing charm on the bed and agreed before instantly falling asleep.

"Excuse him for having emotions," snapped Salene, coming to his rescue, just like she always did. Lovely Salene, who had a broken heart after that idiot Black had dumped her...he sympathized with her (how could he not?) but he _had_ warned her.

"You'd better go get ready," Severus said with a sigh. "These imbeciles obviously don't understand a bed is for sleeping." She chanced a smile at him and he shot her one back. She left, but not before turning her coldest sneer on the many boys gathered. They flinched simultaneously and exchanged looks of subdued fear that made pride swell in Severus's chest. "I have to change," he said pointedly, closing his hangings. After a pause, he cast a few protective spells on the drapes - as a precaution, of course, not out of any paranoia. As he changed from boxers and a shirt into his school robes he fumed over what had happened. How dare they suggest he would ever think of Salene that way! For them to think he thought of her that way made him think _they_ thought of her that way. And the mere thought made him boil with rage. Despite the fact he was straight, he had never even though of Salene that way - she was his _cousin_. And yes, he was straight, despite having loved and been attracted to Remus. He had decided a long time ago that he was simply Remus-sexual, for such a gorgeous, refined creature as Remus certified his own category.

Severus was not feeling any anger towards his ex-lover, at least not yet. The blind, hot fury that would later make him do some very regretful things was still being overridden by hurt and utter confusion at what had happened One minute he was proclaiming his undying love - or, simply saying 'I love you', but for Severus Snape it was the same thing - and the next Remus was slamming his face in the door...the in his door face...his door in the face...the door in his face! Salazar Slytherin, he had no right to be so...so...controlling, especially after the way he had left! No one, especially not Remus, knew that Severus couldn't sleep without reliving the same memory every night.

It was _the_ morning after, when he had woken after their first time. He often wondered why his mind did not project the actual lovemaking, but didn't dwell on the fact. His mind was too busy savoring every remembered detail. Their shared blanket was pushed down to Remus' waist, revealing in the dim light of morning his scarred chest (it wasn't until a long time after they broke up he understood the scars). His head was turned, hiding half of his face. The half it did show was relaxed, a faint smile playing on his pale lips. Honey-like strands of hair were strewn across his face and Severus had leaned closer, brushing them off with faintly trembling fingers. He was still in denial that someone as perfect as Remus Lupin could ever even look at him without disgust, nonetheless love him the way Remus claimed to.

Then without warning, Remus had rolled over so he was facing Severus, grinning slyly, and ran fingers through his strands of black. "I love you," he whispered shyly. Severus froze, the words catching in his throat. When he didn't reply, a shadow briefly flitted across the werewolf's face, but then it was gone, and Remus leaned forward, eyes fluttering shut, their lips melting together, tongues dancing in mutual passion.

And then the memory cut off. Yes, he remembered what had happened next, how they had finished kissing and gotten dressed and Remus had crept out, humming as he smiled bemusedly. And how five minutes later, when the first boy began to stir, only then had Severus allowed himself to breathe properly and slip out for some last minute (unneeded) studying for an upcoming exam. How at breakfast they kept exchanging shy, happy looks. Yes, he remembered all of it, and it made him ache so much he went numb. But at night, he simply couldn't sleep until he'd relived every moment from the admiring to the kiss. And that was that.

Unbeknownst to Severus Snape, on the other side of the castle, a certain werewolf was remembering the same day while silent tears wetting his pillow.


	9. Chapter VIII

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Eight

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. If you don't like that, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **Um...Happy New Year! This chapter is, either the longest or second longest, which is good because I've taken longer than normal to update. Sorry if there are any glaring erorrs in the spelling/grammar - I checked it over several times, but I'm not a beta. :( Anyway...enjoy!**  
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* * *

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The following Monday, Salene opened the door to her tutoring room and took a seat. She was prepared to wait ten minutes for Sirius to show up, after having wasted a total of two hours trying to, once again, get her way out of tutoring. She had tried for half an hour to convince Bellamaire, her head of house, to allow her to stop being tutored, but had only succeeded in losing twenty house points and being sneered at for thinking about marrying her cousin. Obviously, Bellamaire held grudges.

Then, another half an hour had been wasted as she had attempted to convince Carter she needed no tutoring, but had finally stomped off, flustered and irritated to no end at the professor's lack of sanity. She had spent an hour 'persuading' the headmaster, once more, to see her views and let Severus tutor her. Professor Dumbledore had more sense than the other two put together and doubled; she had thought that he would understand. However, just when she suspected he was cracking, he had smiled blandly and ever so politely dismissed her. Just thinking about it infuriated her and she charmed the time into the air, frowning. Was he really not going to come?

Just as she had pocketed her wand and stood to leave, the door opened and Sirius walked in briskly, avoiding her eyes. "Oh, you just got here too?" he asked, sitting down and pulling out his wand and a dusty book from the library. "I was researching in the library and came across this book. It's about defense and why your magic weakens without it. You might find it interesting." He pushed the text across the table and chanced a smile.

She nodded back, opening to the middle of the book and skimming the page briefly, a bit distracted by his sudden maturity. "You smell good," she noted absently, turning the page. She froze as she realized what she said, but recovered just as his head shot up to stare at her.

"What?" She looked up at the note of surprised caution in his voice and smiled lazily.

"The book. I said the book smells good. I love the smell of old books," she replied, shutting it and ignoring the pounding in her head. "Thank you for checking it out. I promise to let you pay the late fee." He grinned, though made a half-hearted attempt to hide it behind his hand as he rubbed his nose. "What are we learning today?"

"Actually..." he trailed off, looking suddenly discomforted and embarrassed. "I was hoping I could catch up on some homework while you read the book."

"Been up all night with the latest girlfriend?" she asked, shaking her head. "That's pathetic. You could be the top of the school if you actually worked hard."

"You didn't mind when it was you I was losing sleep over," he muttered. She caught his eye and frowned.

"Don't," she warned sharply and he stood, eyes suddenly fiery, his hands gripping the table tightly.

"You're the one who brought up girlfriends, Salene. You were _asking_ me to say something, anything. What do you want me to say? That I was so deeply overwhelmed by relief You-Know-Who hadn't branded you I couldn't speak? That I haven't been with the latest girlfriend; that I've been missing you? What do you want to hear?" She responded by looking him directly into the eye, refusing to be the first to leave this time.

"I wanted to hear that you've gotten over me." Her eyes prickled with tears as she watched his face flash with an unrecognizable emotion. He sank into his seat, dropping his head into his hands. Silence ensued for several moments before he spoke, voice shaking slightly.

"I can't get over you. I don't _want_ to get over you. How do I explain how I feel about you, Salene? You know how I am. Get in, get out, get away. It's like my mind was stuck in look-out mode for easy girls and every time I found them, I'd flash a smile and have them in bed that night. I positively _loved_ it that way. I was happy. Or at least I thought I was. Looking back now, I wish I could shoot myself for what I must have put those girls through. I even heard I got one pregnant. I'm lucky I didn't get a disease..." He trailed off and looked up, directly into her eyes.

"Then I met you, Salene. And by most standards, you're not a pretty woman." He flashed her an apologetic smile and she waved it off, entranced by his speech. "But the first time I saw you, I thought you were gorgeous, and I still do now. And I was jealous that you were sitting with Snivellus, of all people. I charmed you the way I did everyone, and you didn't do anything other than sneer. It was...refreshing. I think the first I realized that what I felt was more than a physical attraction was when you agreed to be my friend. No girls wanted to be my friend. You know, all or nothing." He took a breath and sent her a lopsided grin. "And what happened at the lockers...I wasn't even angry at you. I was angry at the situation, that as far as I was concerned you barely tolerated by presence and then you were seeing me naked, and that look in your eyes. I thought it was disgust. Then I heard you talking to yourself, and I knew I was in lo-"

"Don't," she protested hoarsely. She was unaware that her tears had long since spilled over and she was silently crying until Sirius reached out and wiped away several tears. "It had only been three days. You didn't know that."

"But I still love you now," he said earnestly. "You don't have to love me back, but please...I can't take it when you hate me." His voice cracked at the last bit. Salene regarded him emotionlessly for a moment before walking to the other side of the table and kneeling before him.

"Sirius, I could never hate you," she admitted, truthfully. "Even if you became an insane murderer of Muggles and betrayed everyone around you," she added thoughtfully. He looked up, eyes narrowed, only to find a teasing look on her face. She would relive this moment, over and over and over, when her words came back to haunt her.

"Maybe I should become one just to test it," he teased.

"Maybe." There were a few beats of silence and she felt compelled to add, "But wait a few years. You do have to graduate." They exchanged silly grins and, without warning, strong arms pulled Salene into a warm embrace. "I won't leave you again," she whispered, feeling his unasked question in the strength of his hug. At the time, she didn't know she was lying.

* * *

"What are you doing for holiday?" Severus asked, glancing up from his homework briefly. Salene met his gaze guiltily and quickly scratched out the many embellishments of S.B. from her parchment. It was such a childish thing to do, really, and she wished it would stop happening every time her mind wandered. Especially as her newly rebuilt relationship was being kept a secret from everyone, though she suspected Sirius' friends knew. Perhaps not Lupin, though, as that was the reason she was withholding the secret from Severus. 

"Staying at the castle. You're going home?" she asked, frowning deeply. Despite having been legally emancipated on his sixteenth birthday, he had returned to the manor for the past two (four, really) holidays and was planning on returning once again for winter holidays.

"Yes, as I have told you countless times. Believe me, I would prefer to stay at Hogwarts but to receive Snape Manor and the rest of my inheritance there are certain obligations I have. As such, I must return for holidays." He dipped his quill in the ink and continued writing, ignoring her rolled eyes.

"Too bad you have a younger brother," she told him. "Otherwise, you could've been a Gryffindor and Uncle Sev would still have given you everything when he died, rather than let it go to charity." He responded with a low growl and she sighed. He was putting up the mask he did for everyone else and she found it very nerve grating. "Speaking of, do you write to Septimus?" Septimus was Severus' younger brother, who had attended Durmstrang and was currently in his fourth year. He and Salene hadn't gotten on quite as well at school as they did when they were younger, but they were on civil terms.

"No," he growled. "Don't remind me of that brat." Salene sighed and balled her parchment up and dropped it in her drawer.

"Sometimes, Severus-"

"Black made you soft," he snapped, effectively cutting off her would-be reprimand. She tensed but a look at him revealed nothing.

"Yeah, but I'm over him," she answered slowly, watching him closely, trying to determine if he was hinting at her new relationship. To her relief, he rolled his eyes and relaxed into the couch, fingers drumming the wooden armrest.

"Of course. Though how you were ever interested in an imbecile like him, I'll never know," he said. There was a pause, before he shot her a look. "What are _you_ doing for holidays?"

"Subtle," she said dryly. "But as to your question, where would I go? If I returned to my manor, I would surely be killed. After all, not only did I refuse the mark, 'make friends' with a blood traitor, and - though this is only a guess - make a mockery of the Snapes, I also put Bellatrix into Azkaban." She ticked everything off her fingers as she spoke and, once finished, copied his position, settling back into the couch. "Yes, of course I'll go home," she mocked. He scowled but the let the sarcasm pass. "As for other options...Claire would be the only person I consider a friend, or close enough, and she left Hogwarts. Not to mention, she would hardly welcome me after what happened with Zabini. And I would enjoy going home with you, if your father wouldn't be there. So, I will be left to my own devices for the next three weeks." She sighed dramatically and sent him a sly look, careful to keep her tone sarcastic. "Or I could go home with S-Black." He raised a single eyebrow at her slip.

"Yes, if you want to be surrounded by Potter and Lupin the entire home." At her look of confusion, he continued. "From what I've heard, Black ran away from home this past summer and stayed at Potter's house. And for every winter holiday, they've gone to either Lupin's house or Potter's. I'm assuming, due to the fact Black supposedly lives there now, this holiday they'll be going to Potter's."

"You seem to have researched this a lot," she said, knowing exactly where he got this information.

"Yes, well, it wasn't like I asked," he said bitterly. "He liked to ramble on and on."

"You liked to listen." Her eyes met his intently and they sat that way for an endless moment, understanding passing between them, before Severus got to his feet.

"Please, don't bring this up again," he implored softly and she nodded. "I'll see you later." Before she could say her own words of parting, he had disappeared up the stairs to the privacy of his Head Boy quarters.

* * *

The last day the sign-up sheet for staying at Hogwarts was available, Salene finally got around to going to the Great Hall to sign up. She was not sure why she had put it off, as she considered herself a prompt person, but every time she thought about writing her name down it was either at meals where the sheet was not available, or a foreboding premonition overwhelmed her to the point she couldn't go. But just as she'd had enough of the silliness and left the comfort of the common rooms, Sirius had kidnapped her - literally. He had thrown a cloak of some sort over her head and, as he dragged her up the stairs, warned her to keep the hood up and follow him closely once he let go. "I'm trusting you, Black," she hissed to him as she followed him into the Gryffindor common room, expecting to be greeted with glares. However, no one seemed to notice her at all, and when she happened to glance down she saw nothing, which in itself made her bite back a shriek. Then he took her into the Gryffindor boys' dormitory before whipping off the Invisibility Cloak, as she assumed it was. 

Lupin and Potter, who were lounging on their beds, looked at her with various degrees in interest. The other boy in the room, named Frank Long...something, looked alarmed and annoyed, all at once. "What is she doing here Sirius?"

"Revenge on Snivellus," he explained. "But you have to pretend you didn't see her...After all, you were conveniently in the bathroom when she came in and when you went into the common room straight from there you, so didn't notice. Right?" Frank, who Salene guessed had ignored countless pranks over the year, nodded and went into the bathroom. There was silence for the two or so minutes he was in the bathroom, and then he came back out, heading for the common room with his head turned.

"Frank's nice like that," Lupin offered, misreading her disgust.

"And you're taking advantage of it, you...you..." she trailed off, unable to find a word for what she was feeling, settling for a noise of irritation. After glancing at the trunks, she found Sirius' bed and sat down on it, leaning against the headboard and surveying the three boys without emotion. In truth, her heart was beating wildly at the fact she was on Sirius' bed, which still smelled extremely strong of him. "Which one of you had the idiotic whim that possessed you to kidnap me?"

"Careful, you sound like Snivellus," he warned, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed.

"Don't call him that," she said sharply. "The only reason he's been so nasty as of late is the stupid werewolf you so fondly refer to as a friend."

"If you don't behave you won't get the surprise," he reprimanded, though he was smiling slightly.

"Unlike you, Sirius, I am not a child and do not appreciate surprises."

"Sirius...you're willing to give up a different gorgeous woman every night for her?" Potter asked, eyebrows rising. Sirius opened his mouth to retort but Salene beat him to it.

"You would do the same for Evans," she said evenly, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Everyone shut up!" Sirius yelled, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. "Salene, if you stopped talking the surprise wouldn't be a surprise anymore, so the fact you hate surprises would be irrelevant...what?" The 'what' had been caused by the fact that at the end of his sentence the mouths of Lupin and Potter had dropped.

"You know a word that is not found in a color picture dictionary," Potter said brightly with a tinge of pride. It was a joke, as everyone knew Sirius was extremely smart, but she thought it a bit cruel anyway.

"LISTEN!" Sirius' shout was so loud, the noise from the common room went silent for a moment, and he went bright red and hesitated before continuing. "Salene, I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me for Christmas?" Her mouth dried up and she blinked in surprise, mostly at the question but partly because of the earnest expression on his face.

"I'm not sure I could spend three weeks around Potter and Lupin without murdering one, or both, of them," she said apologetically, hating to turn down the offer but knowing it wouldn't work. Besides, Severus would notice if she got on the train and left Hogwarts. What could be her excuse, 'I just felt like riding there and back for the heck of it, you know how fun it is to waste time!'? She snorted and shook her head.

"Well, I kind of figured that out," he said with a lopsided grin. "Which is why I invited you for Christmas and the rest of the holiday afterwards." At her expression, he went on to explain. "You see, I wanted to invite you for the whole holidays but then I got to thinking and realized it would be impossible to hide it from Sn-your cousin if you did, and so I went to Professor Dumbledore. When I explained the situation, he seemed really surprised but-" he cut off at her cringe. "What?"

"Well, remember the tutoring session that we made up during? Well...I spent half an hour respectively trying to convince Bellamaire and Carter to stop my tutoring, and then an hour trying to convince Professor Dumbledore the same thing," she explained in a rush, studiously ignoring his face.

"You hated me that much?" he asked in such a hurt tone that drew her eyes to him.

"I told you I could never hate you," she said softly as she stood, feeling extremely uncomfortable admitting this in front of Potter and Lupin. He had probably told them everything that had happened (minus his crying) but she was not used to being so open. "Remember?" He nodded, looking away briefly before he met her eyes again.

"So, as I was saying, Professor Dumbledore said you could floo to James' house on Christmas day, if you wanted to. Do you want to?"

"You're as subtle as changing the subject as Severus," she muttered. Immediately, an identical expression of disgust was plastered on the Marauders' faces and she couldn't hide her grin. "Never mind. He's much better when he wants to be, but lately he's been...distracted." She paused and her eyes flicked over to Lupin briefly. Despite the fact their break up had been over a month ago and Severus' mask was firmly in place again, she knew he would never stop hurting. "But I'm sure you don't care about your hated enemy, especially when you're waiting to find out if your _beloved_ girlfriend will spend Christmas with you." He rolled his eyes as she smirked. "Does Potter's parents know about it?" At the nod, she smiled and hugged him briefly. "I guess I can restrain my homicidal impulses for a couple of days."

"And nights," he replied, a smirk blossoming.

"Potter does have a sister, right? Or I am allowed to have a private room? I know you've been deprived of your usual late night activities, and I'm not going to be the one to re-engage you in them."

"You think I only want you for the sex?" he asked, trying to raise a single eyebrow but ending up looking constipated.

"First and most importantly, leave that expression to the Slytherins. Gryffindors' face muscles are hopelessly incompetent. Second, I never suspected you only wanted me only for that. However, I am more than aware of how...active...a man's libido is. Believe me, I spent the last three years rooming with two males and my younger sister, and ignoring how well the three got along at night, they-" She broke off and drew in a sharp breath, surprised at the sudden waves of emotions assaulting her.

"And you never told the headmaster?" he asked, brow furrowing. She looked away, jaw clenching.

"Look, I'm sorry I brought it up. Can we just...drop it?" She was surprised when Sirius pulled her into a hug and they stayed that way until Salene broke the silence, her voice oozing awkwardness. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you," he said simply. She knew she was going to say something nasty and spiteful but could not keep her mouth closed.

"I assure you Sirius, I am not about to break down and cry. I believe that is your job." He let go of her, flushing in anger, and his eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me for caring."

"Excused," she said politely, smiling stiffly at him.

"I know this upsets you, but please don't-"

"Please don't what? I came to terms my sister is-" She broke off once more and carefully avoided Sirius' eyes, knowing he would see how truly distressed she was if he saw her face. "I can't leave without that cloak." Sirius looked taken aback and he hesitantly took her hand.

"You don't have to leave. I'll stop talking about it if you want. But please stay." For a moment she was uncertain but then nodded and squeezed his hand before letting go and smiling at him.

"I think we both need to learn some control," she said lightly.

"I'm not the moody one," he snapped, scowling and she realized immediately he was mocking her.

"And I'm not the one suffering from immaturity, so there." And to 'emphasize' that statement, she stuck out her tongue.

* * *

**End Author's Notes: **First and foremost, huge thanks to **CerealKiller**. And although I promised I wouldn't do this, after using my handy-dandy calculator, I found that less than one percent of the hits I'm getting are reviewed hits (I have a feeling that doesn't make much sense). I discounted the first chapter, because that was about 400 hits right there and it threw off the balance. Basically, would it terribly bother some people to just drop a quick review. I would even LOVE one-liners. But, enough about that and I will not mention that again for the rest of the story. 

And although this more useless rambling, I really liked the scene that starts out with Salene and Severus talking about what to do for the holidays. This is kind of self-promoting, but I thought it really expressed the way I always like to imagine them interacting and their tone with each other; stuff like that.


	10. Chapter VIIII

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Eight

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. If you don't like that, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **I've _finally_ gotten over my writers block and wrote two more chapters, totalling it to twenty-five. Of course, I'm not very happy with either so they'll be going through major editing. This chapter was something I'd tried to make very lighthearted because the next several chapters, I think starting with the eleventh chapter, will not be anything remotely like that.

**

* * *

**

The day for the students to leave Hogwarts came and Salene found herself under the Invisibility Cloak, with Sirius, kissing him goodbye quickly before slipping out from underneath. "See you at Christmas," she whispered into seemingly mid air before turning and making her way back to the entrance, where she had promised to meet Severus. When she found he was already there and waiting, she felt her stomach tightening at the expression on his face.

"Why are you coming from the direction of the carriages?" he asked, frowning.

"When you took so long I thought you might've gone ahead," she lied, as easily as if it were the truth despite not having had an answer prepared beforehand. "Apparently, I was wrong."

He smiled and teased, "This moment will go down in history as a first." She forced a genuine-looking smile, feeling suddenly guilty and sad at once.

"You're too kind," she replied. There was a moment of silence and they glanced around to see who the remaining students were before hugging briefly, though very tightly. "Take care of yourself. Your life isn't worth a fortune." She paused and laughed slightly. "That came out wrong. I meant, your life is worth _more than_ a fortune."

"He's not going to murder me, Salene." She just shrugged, looking off into the distant.

"No one's ever accused me of _not _being paranoid," she replied.

"And no one ever accused me of not being not...nice, but you think I am." She stared at him, puzzled, and he shrugged. "I was attempting to distract you."

"Ah." Again, there was silence, and Severus flicked his wand at his luggage, levitating them.

"I'll see you in January. And that's a promise." She smiled, resisting the urge to give him another hug for many reasons, one of which if she did his luggage would slip from his wand's control and knock over many innocent students. But she couldn't let him go when she felt so...open, if that was really a proper way to describe oneself. When he got to the carriage, she shouted his name, settling on what to do.

He turned, rubbing his ungloved hands together against the cold. She held up her fingers in the Muggle sign for peace and then stuck them in her mouth and whistled. Even across the distance, she saw him grin before returning the gesture. When they were five, they had gone with his mom to the only Wizarding amusement park and except for the small child section every single ride defied the laws of nature...then again, when had magic ever been restricted to nature's laws?

They had spent several hours riding the children's ride, though Severus quickly grew bored. Half an hour before they were to leave, Severus decided to sneak out from his mother's watchful eye and get on the most terrifying ride in the park. It was a rollercoaster, but that was the largest understatement of the century. It went so high into the air oxygen spells were applied before the ride began, and it went so fast it was known to knock out teeth by the strength of the wind. But, the worst of it all was that a blinding spell was placed on the rider so you were in total darkness...and the ride was completely invisible and lightened. For that reason, it merely felt as if you were zooming along in complete darkness, supported by nothing...and then halfway through the ride the blinding spell wore off, and sometimes that was even more terrifying.

Of course Severus, being five, had not known it was scary and to him it simply looked like flying. And he had always wanted to fly. Salene was worried about him going off by himself, but he was too stubborn, and so she told him if he got lost or changed his mind, just to whistle. He had decided that was too boring, and they had come up with signal. More had happened, of course, but that's a tale for another time.

* * *

"You look surprised," Zabini commented mildly. To say Salene was surprised was a gross understatement, like saying a vampire mildly enjoyed the taste of blood while it was not only the single substance that ignited their taste buds, but also an erotic substance. However, she ignored it, and continued to stare at Zabini wordlessly. "Well, what do you say?" 

"Zabini...I appreciate you trusting me enough to divulge your secrets in me, but I would never do something like that," she hissed, feeling indignation bubble up inside of her. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "But I know a secret that I trust the entire school enough to divulge them. A secret of _yours_." Her indignation morphed to rage as she shoved him against the wall, snarling.

"You do anything that will remotely anger or displease me, Zabini, and I will not hesitate to do something to land myself in Azkaban." He smirked and his eyebrows raised.

"Damn, my plan to goad you into saying a secret didn't work," he mocked, eyes glittering with malice.

"And here I thought you were sensible enough not to get tangled up with a Snape. Obviously, I was wrong." She pushed off the wall and began to stride away, seething, when someone grabbed her arm. When she whirled around, prepared to hex Zabini thoroughly, she found herself face to face with...

"Father," she whispered, her throat constricted as his grip tightened.

"Salene," he acknowledged, his voice tinted with controlled surprise. "I didn't think it was you. You've grown out your hair. Pretty."

"Why did you grab me, then?" she hissed, purposely ignored his last comments, not prepared to say anything remotely civil to the man holding her.

"I was going to ask directions to the headmaster's office. But seeing as I've already found you, perhaps you would like to show me to the Slytherin common room yourself?" His eyes glinted with a hidden promise and she felt her defiance growing as she jerked away from his grip.

"There are so little students if I don't show up for a meal he'll know, and it's lunch time. I'm hungry." He frowned and looked about ready disagree, but then nodded tightly and she spun on her heel, half running to the Great Hall. Only seven students, including Zabini and Salene, had stayed behind as people were afraid this would be their last Christmas with their family, and for this reason the majority of the people sitting at the single dining table were staff.

"Ah, Salene, how lucky your father came today and not tomorrow," the headmaster said upon sight. Salene noticed the table was listening to their conversation, but could not care less. They were all a group of third year friends who had relished the idea of having a whole castle to themselves

"Professor Dumbledore..._please_ send this psycho away from your school before he murders me and the group of Mudbloods over their." The five stiffened at the word, as they were all Muggleborn, and glared. How stupid they were more concerned with being insulted than being murdered.

"Salene, why would I murder anyone?"

"Because Muggles-" she cut herself off, feeling the searing pain of loss cutting her. "You have unlimited reasons, Father," she answered instead, careful to not allow any of her emotion to show through...other than burning hatred, that is.

"Mr. Snape, while I am sure you have absolutely no harmful intentions, perhaps it would be better if you left," Dumbledore ordered, though it was in such a polite way that many foolish people would take it as a suggestion. However, as Salene's father was not a foolish person, he simply clenched his teeth and nodded tightly and turned on his heel just as Dumbledore added, "Perhaps you can come back when Salene is calmer." His tone made it perfectly clear Mr. Snape should never again enter the school. Salene could have grinned as she took her seat, but rather than that she smirked at the seething Mudbloods.

* * *

"I can't do this," she confided in her mirror as she brushed imaginary dirt from her robes. They were the best she owned, and had cost her a hundred galleons (A/N I heard some where that one galleon equals roughly seven dollars). They were of a magical material, the softest and lightest in existence, and floor length with sweeping sleeves and various gems decorating the hems and waist. It was blue, just a shade lighter than her eyes, and she had a matching ribbon to braid into her hair. However, she preferred her hair down, and had long ago adopted it as a hair band. 

"I can't do this," she repeated, and added for effect, "I can't. I just can't."

"I believe the mantra you are thinking of 'I think I can, I think I can'," said a sneering voice from the doorway. She turned around, careful not to disrupt a single hair as she'd spent two hours combing out every tangle and styling it just right and hadn't had time to spell it in place, not yet anyway. Even when her hair was down, it was styled...or so she preferred to think.

"Can I help you, Zabini?" she asked calmly. Despite her inner panic, she was determined to impress upon the rest of the world she was a calm, respectful, mannered witch. At least, until Lupin or Potter said one thing that grated on her nerves...such as 'hi'. Not that they would be greeting her.

"I have rethought my previous offer. If you agree to do what I asked, I will walk away and never look in your direction again. If you refuse once more, I will tell your _beloved_ cousin about your _beloved_ boyfriend, whom I know you want to keep secret. You have until the Monday before we graduate, and I am being more than generous. Good day." With that, Zabini left and it was then she found out how he had overcome the magical barriers restricting boys from the dormitory. He was levitating himself.

With a growl of frustration, she placed the proper charm on her hair and, though still silky and knot free, not a hair would move out of place until the charm was removed. Not that it mattered because no one would be judging her by her looks, and if they were the fact he hair wasn't knotted wouldn't cover up her overly large nose, or her lack of any color in her skin, or those extra pounds she'd gained since coming to Hogwarts - although, perhaps the last one was an imrpovement.

With a sigh, she glanced at the mirror and muttered one final time, "I can't do this." Then she walked out of the dormitory, sneering at Zabini as she brushed past him. She would rather suffer Severus' wrath than do what Zabini was asking. It was not, after all, as if he could do anything about her relationship. He being both Severus and Zabini, she supposed.

Upon entering his office, Salene knew Professor Dumbledore was waiting for her, despite his effort at appearing busy. He looked up immediately as she entered and set his quill aside, beaming. "I was pleasantly surprised to hear you had worked through your differences with Mr. Black."

"Yes, well..." she trailed off, indicating she had no intention of holding something remotely like a civil conversation

"Of course, of course, you must be anxious to see all your friends." She did not bother replying, as Professor Dumbledore had offered the open pot of floo powder. Just as she reached in, he pulled back, studying her intently. "Does the name Potter not stir any...unpleasant memories?" he asked and she sighed.

"The only memories I have of the name Potter are one of the son, and they are all unpleasant." Dumbledore echoed her sigh and held out the powder once more.

"Then all I have to say to you, is do not let your emotions get the best of you," he said in that same tone. Salene paused to study him, vaguely concerned, but then threw the fast diminishing handful of red powder into the flames.

"Godric Hollow," she enunciated after she stepped forward and the next second was sucked downward and a few jumbled seconds of heat later, she found herself being spit out onto a rather dirty rug and she shuddered as she got up, already spelling herself clean. "I hate floo powder," she muttered. "It's like the passage to hell."

"I thought that was Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked a friendly, unfamiliar voice

"No, that's the _door_. I said passage," Salene answered as she looked up to see a grinning Potter. Two, as a matter of fact, grinning Potters and she thought for a second she had hit her head. Then she noticed the subtle differences, like the not-James had freckles and lighter hair and his glasses were more stylish than Potter's. Just then, a bare chested Sirius walked into the room, looking sleepy until he spotted the witch standing in front of the fire.

"Salene," he said brightly, rushing forward and surprising her with a hug before she could react.

"He knows," she told him, surprising herself further.

"Snivellus?"

"For the last time, don't call him that! And no, it's Zabini...I'll tell you later. And once you stop molesting me." He stepped back, grinning.

"You don't have to pretend you don't love me. Everyone here knows you're not such a...such a...Snivellus!"

"I warned you," she said simply, before pulling out her wand and cursing him.

"I don't feel different," Sirius taunted. "Your magic must be defective."

"No, I think it is you who will find yourself defective. And please go to the bathroom every time you do." His face scrunched up in confusion, before he looked down in sudden shock.

"You...you cursed me so I'll produce more...man cells," he said, shifting uncomfortably as his pants began to tent.

"Precisely. Claire and I made that spell up for Zabini. Now, however, I think I will find one that stops the production, as he seems much too willing-" she cut herself off and looked away. There was a whimper from Sirius and he ran off. She felt a little pang of guilt and sighed, standing up. "I'd better go tell him the counter curse. He must've been thinking dirty thoughts, though, or else it would've taken longer to happen."

"He always thinks dirty thoughts when you're around," Potter, the original one, said and added, "And he's always saying them when you're not around." Her eyes narrowed to slits and she repocketed her wand.

"On second thought, I'll let the curse wear itself out."

* * *

Apparently, Potter's not-twin was his younger Squib brother, who attended a Muggle school a few miles away. Salene had never met a Squib before, but she had expected them all to be bitter about not having magic. That would have been quite an experience, because Salene could exchange insults with the best of them - however Charlie was merely a copy of Potter, personality wise, without the hints of maturity Potter rarely possessed. 

"What is it with your family and immaturity?" she demanded as Charlie fell off the couch laughing. "Please tell me your missing maturity was passed to your sisters."

"Sister," Potter answered, his smile disappearing. "She has enough maturity for the entire family, with some left over."

"She's probably just normal and you can't accept it."

"I hate to say this _Snape_, but normal for you is murdering Muggles," he snapped, looking away. Obviously, his sister was a touchy subject, and she was willing to let it go. She knew enough about sisters and touchy subjects.

"Of course," she said agreeably. "After all, we do sacrifice Squib babies in the common room." She shot a nasty smile at Charlie just as Sirius reappeared and leaned against the doorway. "I took the spell off an hour ago, didn't I?" she asked him, frowning. He should have been out of the bathroom a long time ago.

"Yes but...I need to talk to you. Alone." He looked decidedly angry and she felt her guilt increase. She knew his wording - talk _to _you - was not a coincidence and stood, following him into one of the guest room. Apparently, he and Remus shared the room.

"Look...I don't want to yell at you. But it just seems like we're not on the same page. I mean, I would never hex you, no matter how angry I got, and yet I say 'Snivellus' and I'm stuck in the bathroom for more than an hour. And whenever we fight, I'm the one who comes crawling back, apologizing and all that. I'm not saying I've done everything perfect. I know I haven't. But I would really appreciate it if you just talked to me instead of pulling out your wand." He looked away, hair falling in his eyes, a flush darkening his face. "And then you insult me all the time, just for being the way I am. Sometimes...sometimes I don't think you like me at all."

"Sirius, I _do_ like you. I'm just shit at relationships, romantic or not. The only one I've had in ten years is with Severus, and he likes it when I insult him, and hex him, because he does it right back. I'm not used to dealing with normal human emotions. And I'm sorry for hexing you. It was wrong. You deserve to call him Snivellus after everything he's put you through, and I know that. It was my way of teasing," she explained, putting her head in her hands. The bed creaked as he sat down next to her and slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"I love you," he whispered and she froze. How could she respond to that?

"Sirius, if I told you I loved you it would mean there was nothing I wouldn't do for, and with, you. You know, come hell or high water, premature wedding night, or whatever it is Muggles say. And just because I don't say it, doesn't mean I don't...but that's what those words means to me, and until I'm entirely sure, I'm not going to say them. Is that alright? Does that even make sense?"

"Just make sure you tell me you love me at night," Sirius said, nudging her knee with his, suddenly grinning. "Otherwise, all day I'm going to feel like you put that spell back on me." Salene went red and looked away. "Is _that_ okay, Salenieweenie?"

"When you make up ridiculous names like that, how do you expect for me to remain sane?" she asked, rolling her eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, twining his fingers with hers as he did so.

"Maybe I don't."

**End Author's Notes: **I have to say, that made me go 'aww'. Originally that was a longer scene but I didn't like all the gushines, fluffines. And a lot of it was repitive. HUGE thanks to **CerealKiller**


	11. Chapter V V

**Chapter Ten**

Half an hour later, Salene was threatening Potter with her wand when the door opened and in walked, supposedly, Mr. and Mrs. Potter with two twin girls. The girls both dark hair was wavy rather than untamable, though their was an obvious difference just looking by them. Whether it was from a slouch or she just was, the twin with blue eyes was shorter than the other, and she carried the same goofy air her brothers did. She was wearing ragged jeans and a green sweater, her cheeks flushed from the cold and her nose red. The other girl, however, had hazel eyes and was wearing a long-sleeved dress that was reminiscent of robes, her hair braided and her face clear of emotions.

"You must be Black's new idiot girlfriend..." The way she left the sentence hanging and the glance she cast at her parents clearly said she had been wanting to say something but it was mildly inappropriate. Deciding she'd deal with her later, Salene turned her eyes upon the parents, and froze.

"Get up, everyone. There are groceries to unload," said Mrs. Potter cheerfully, though the smile died at the look of terror on Salene's face. "Wait a minute...I recognize you! Salene!" The confused familiarity in Mrs. Potter's voice was enough to stop her from tearing out of the room and barricading herself in a closet for the rest of the day. "How have you been?" She was extremely aware of the fact the rest of the family was following their conversation and she swallowed audibly.

"I'm fine," she answered stiffly, clenching her hands. "I never knew your last name was Potter."

"Yes, well, children generally prefer to be on friendly terms with us. It helps ease them," she explained.

"I was a hardly a child by the time you met me. Children aren't murderers."

"You didn't murder-"

"Yeah, so says the well-paid shrink. What reason did you have to tell me the truth?" she replied with a shrug. "The best of intentions don't make a murder a death...wasn't that what you said to the Aurors?" Mrs. Potter flushed and looked away.

"Wait...what are you talking about?" Sirius asked, looking between the two with a look of bewilderment.

"Obviously, Salene and Mrs. Potter know each other from a past murder that Salene seemingly committed," Lupin said, eyeing the younger witch intently.

"Obviously, Severus told you what happened," she retorted, and at his nod added, "I will tell you two, or three if you wish to listen Lupin. But I'm not telling anyone else."

"Aw, you finally trust us?" Potter teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Hardly. But anything I said to Sirius would be repeated to you and he would...I mean, it's just easier for you to hear it from me." No one else understood she had stopped herself from insulting from Sirius, no one but Sirius himself. He answered by grinning at her and she smiled back, twisting the ring that signified their relationship around her finger. "We'll use your bedroom, Potter."

* * *

Salene sighed and shifted against the wall. She was trying to egar the three pairs of earnest eyes on her face. It was not the wasiest thing she'd ever had to do. "My sister Serena was fourteen and I was eight and we were taking a walk. She liked to do it, and I liked to pretend she thought I was more than an annoying brat so I followed her everywhere. We turned around to start heading home when we came face to face with a group of Muggle men. They knocked us out and kidnapped us. When I woke up, they were beating Serena and I was too weak to do anything about it. They left her within an inch of her life and didn't return, except to feed us, until she had mostly healed. Then they beat her again and waited until she healed before returning. They did this for three months but they never touched me abusively. In fact, they seemed to like me and would play Muggle games with me. 

"Finally, one day I...I strangled her to death, knowing it was the only way to free her. She didn't fight at all because she had been unconscious when I started, and it was less than an hour after a new beating. When the Muggles found out, they dropped me off where they kidnapped me. Serena...she came back as a ghost, and she still haunts Moore Manor - my mother's manor - as a constant reminder what Muggles, and what I, did to the family. I've never talked to her ghost because I can't stand the thought of what she'd say. That's why the Snapes were not well-known Muggle-haters until a few years ago; we didn't care very much. We have always been proud of our blood, but didn't wish to be rid of Muggles. When the Muggles beat, and I killed, Serena it changed all that." Salene was more than prepared to be thrown out of the house in disgust; she was expecting it. So when Sirius leaned over and hugged her tightly and it took all her self control not to burst into surprised tears. Not because of the memories, which she had mourned and shoved back long ago, but because he still loved her. Even after knowing the secret she had spent her entire life concealing.

"Don't get revenge," he said firmly as he pulled back, a hand on each of her shoulders. She raised a single eyebrow.

"I wasn't planning on it," she lied. She already knew exactly what she was going to do for revenge, but she did not intend to reveal that to Sirius. "And even if I was, you of all people shouldn't be scolding me for revenge. Someone looks at you wrong and they wake up with dung bombs in their beds." He grinned sheepishly and she drew in a breath before turning to face Potter. Despite her insistent nastiness towards him, she was starting to like him. And he could tell.

"I would've done the same thing," Potter said quietly when he felt her eyes upon him. "As little details you said, I know there was no alternative. I remember Mum talking about it and afterwards Chelsea made us promise if we ever got kidnapped and weren't rescued or murdered after a few months to...save...each other."

"Chelsea?" Salene was trying to change the subject and thankfully Potter let her.

"Chelsea's my older sister; she'll be here tomorrow. She's finishing her training to be a Healer."

"Let me guess, she's a genius who does three years of training in one," Salene offered, making a few quick assumptions based on Potter's tone. He nodded and smirked.

"That's Chels." There were a few seconds of silence and Salene subconsciously shifted so she was leaning against Sirius. "What do we do now? Normally we'd talk about girls but even if Salene wasn't here neither of you would want to...and we can't go to any Muggle places in case Salene gets the urge to sacrifice them...so anyone up for the amusement park?" This idea was met with enthusiasm and Salene was inwardly laughing at the irony as they Apparated.

* * *

Several hours later, Salene was quite prepared to go back when a chillingly familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. 

"Salene, we do seem to be running into each other quite often as of late," her father said pleasantly with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Next to him were her mother and younger sister, Sarina.

"Let's go," Sirius muttered, taking her hand, which did not escape the notice of her family, though they refrained from commenting.

"No. I have a question for you, Father. Why did you travel to the other side of Europe just to go to a stupid amusement park when I know none of you get enjoyment from these type of places?" Her voice was cold and unforgiving, and a fake look of injury flashed on her father's face.

"Salene! Can't I see my own daughter on Christmas Eve?" If she hadn't been born and raised by the man before her, she would have felt guilty and apologized. As it was, she knew he was completely fake. She controlled the impulse to hex the look off of him and shrugged.

"Not when he has murderous intent towards the daughter in question," she replied lightly, trying not to cause more of a scene than she was. Lupin was studying his Ice Mice carefully and Potter keep Apparating to various places a few feet away and back, causing distracting 'pops' in the background. Sirius was still holding her hand tightly, an odd look of déjà vu on his face.

"Wait a minute!" he said suddenly, staring at Sarina with narrowed eyes. "I've seen you before at my house. You're the youngest of the De-dear friends of Bellatrix's." It was obvious he had meant to say Death Eater and for a moment her mask slipped to shock as Sarina defiantly met her gaze, a mocking smirk on her face.

"Sari...Serena wouldn't have wanted this," she said softly. A look of utter fury crossed the younger girl's face as she strode forward and took hold of Salene's robes, twisting them so they effectively began to strangle her.

"You_ bitch_. _You_ murdered her; don't you dare mention her name," Sari growled Just as Salene began to succumb to the blackness of unconsciousness, Sarina let go and took a few steps backwards before Disapparating, which she had been tested on just a week earlier. Sirius drew Salene into a one-armed protective hug and drew out his wand with his free hand.

"Get out of here," he hissed. Salene wondered vaguely why he had taken so long to respond before she noticed Lupin and Potter each held strips of fabric in a hand and Sirius' robes were ripped on the upper arms. She smiled bemusedly and reached out to pull him closer as her parents Disapparated.

"I don't not love you," she said, her voice scratchy. He looked into her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her deeply.

"Good way of getting around the promise you made," he said, grinning against her lips. "Now let's go home." She nodded and squeezed his hand before pulling away and Disapparating.

* * *

Salene ignored the concerned look Mr. Potter cast her as she downed a thick blue potion, gagging as she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. "You'd think with everything we know how to do, potions would taste better." After gagging again, she filled the bottle with water and drank it, shuddering. "Thank you very much," she added as an afterthought. Her image of calm and polite had disintegrated the moment she'd seen Mrs. Potter's face, but she hadn't made an impression on Mr. Potter yet...or so she hoped. 

"You're welcome very much," he replied, waving his wand at the bottle so it cleaned and tucking it into his robes, presumably so he could later replace it in his potions lab. Starting to head towards the kitchen, he called over his shoulder, "I hope you like pork!" He was so enthused she couldn't possibly tell him the truth, so she settled instead for attempting a weak smile aimed at his back and hoped there were side dishes.

It turned out Mrs. Potter cooked the Muggle way and therefore there was limited servings. There were side dishes, but they were biscuits, which she was limited to two of, and mashed potatoes - which had already been drowned in gravy. Salene was highly allergic to gravy. So she clenched her teeth, picked up her fork, and glared at her pork chops. She could eat them, she could. Except...she couldn't. Every time she attempted to pick up a piece with her fork, she saw Pork, her appropriately named pet pig for five years, until a year after she'd returned from being kidnapped. Her father had made her watch as he slit Pork's throat and had the house-elves prepare him for dinner, ignoring her noisy sobbing. He had been too old for the meat to taste good, but her father hadn't cared. He had chewed with his mouth open, probably the first and only time of his life, and then force-fed the meat to her, shoving his fingers down her throat in order to do so and making her gag and choke many times.

"Salene?" Her name startled her out of her reminiscing and she looked up blankly to find Sirius frowning at her in concern. "You okay?"

"Um...I don't think I can eat this," she told him, setting down her silverware, faintly embarrassed that the entire family was now looking at her.

"Not good enough for you?" Potter asked bitterly and she barely stopped herself from flinching. Funny how she could regress back into childhood behavior when she remembered certain things. Funny, and sad.

"That's not it. And I won't explain because Christmas is supposed to be a celebration, and all I've done so far is depress people."

"Not me. It's fun seeing you strangled to death," Potter said brightly. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am attempting to be more than civil towards your family, Potter, but if you want I can describe what happened so detailed your sisters will be scarred for life and your entire family will become nauseous at the mention of meat." She was exaggerating, but it had the right effect.

He looked extremely taken aback as he held up his hands in defense and said, "I was only joking."

"Yes, well..." There was heavy silence for several minutes, before his dad struck up a stilted conversation with Gabrielle, as Salene had found out the hazel-eyed twin was called. Jennifer, the other twin, shifted her weight and began talking to Remus. It was rather obvious she had a crush on him. "Why do I get the feeling no one likes me?" she asked Sirius conversationally.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. "Charlie loves you. Don't you, Charlie?"

"Yes?" the Squib responded, turning around and then sighing at Sirius' grin. "What did I agree to this time?"

"Being sacrificed," Salene answered, smirking. "Now I just have to figure out how to transport you to Hogwarts..."

"It depends on how I'm being sacrificed," he replied lightly, a smile forming. "Is it the kind where-"

"No," Potter cut in, rolling his eyes. "It's the kind where every time they insult you they cut off another limb and then slowly let you bleed to death while the others pray to their god, or gods."

"Potter! I knew Lupin had a boyfriend in Slytherin, but you? And here I thought you and Longbottom make such a cute couple. You know, he loves you so much he's like a blind, deaf pet." Potter narrowed his eyes but Jennifer cut him off before he could answer.

"Remus never had a boyfriend in Slytherin!" she said indignantly.

"I assure you, my cousin is _not_ a girl," she answered dryly, an eyebrow rising as she continued. "If you disagree, ask Lupin. He would know better than I would." Lupin promptly when red and began to attack his meal with fervor while Jennifer looked near tears and excused herself from the table.

"That really was not necessary," Lupin said quietly. Salene, for one, was thankful Mr. and Mrs. Potter had gone outside to eat.

"If you didn't discourage her, she'd end up kissing you one day. Even females submerged in the Dark Arts are not immune to crushes and the stupidity that comes along with it, so even I am aware of it."

"I noticed," Sirius teased.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She stood and looked at Potter. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Gabrielle's room," he said, nodding at the sister in question. "Or with Sirius and Lupin. Or you can sleep outside."

"Wait a minute," Gabrielle interrupted, speaking for the first time. "I never agreed to share my room, or bed, with her. Did you forget I am not the one with a bunk bed?" Obviously, someone in the family did, but Salene didn't know who.

"Did you forget Salene is a witch?" he returned, scrubbing his face with his hands either in frustration or exhaustion. Salene was feeling both. "And while most seventh years can't Conjure things of that size, she isn't most seventh years." His last part of the sentence was stressed, but she feigned innocence.

"If you are referring to any mental instabilities I may have, I have no idea what you're talking about." Her act of innocence was not at its best, but she had been joking anyway, surprising herself. Since when did she joke around with Potter? She seemed to be doing it an awful lot lately too...Oh Merlin, she was going soft. He was growing on her. Both of the above.

"I need to place protective wards on the room I'm sleeping in," she announced, pushing away her disturbing thoughts.

"James always does that for me," Gabrielle answered, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Whatever was I thinking?" she mocked. "Of course Jamsie can place up better wards than I can, despite the fact that every day for the past seven years I devoted two hours to mastering ward-placing."

There was silence for several minutes, but then Gabrielle spoke. "You're not the usual bimbo Sirius brings home for Christmas."

"That's because I am a Snape," she said, glancing over at the suddenly-blushing Sirius.

"Snape?" Gabrielle echoed, eyes going wide. "As in, you're related to _Severus_ Snape?"

"He's my cousin."

"Sirius! Why didn't you _tell _me?" she demanded as she flushed, looking very put out. "You knew...and she said her cousin dated Lupin!"

"Gabrielle's in love with Snivellus," James explained, to Salene's utter horror.

"Why do all your sisters love _my_ gay people?" She was not sure what had possessed her to say 'my', but it had amusing effects.

"Since when was I yours?" Lupin asked, folding his arms over his chest while Potter faked a gag and Sirius broke out into silent laughter.

"Since you shagged Severus-"

"And I don't anymore," he interrupted, glowering.

"I am trying to bring up pleasant memories in the hopes you will remember your love for him. Besides, I distinctly remember you saying you could ignore him being a Death Eater, if he was." Lupin shot her glare and slipped out of the room. There was heavy silence and Potter followed.

"I am going to bed now. I should be changed in about fifteen minutes, and then you come in and put up your wards."

"Joy," Salene muttered. She was left alone with Sirius, who was still bent over laughing.


	12. Chapter V V1

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Eleven

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. If you don't like that, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry the other chapter wasjust the chapter and nothing else, but its been almost two weeks since I've updated, and I wanted to get back on my every-Friday update. My 'happy news' was premature, and I've fallen back into writers block. If I get to chapter fifteen and haven't been able to write any more, I'm going to change the updating to bi-weekly. I would hate to run out of chapters and not be able to write any more. Some unfortunate stuff has been going on in my life, and normally it fuels my creativity but lately I'm jsut drawing a complete blank. Anyway, now that I'm done whining...**  
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* * *

On Christmas, Salene awoke when Sirius jumped on top of her and proceeded to kiss and lick her throat in a way that was...nice. But she would teach him for messing with her so early in the morning.

"Rape," she yelled, before bringing her knee up squarely in his crotch. He made a groan of pain and rolled over to the side, his hands clutching the area she had kneed.

"Salene," he moaned. "That hurt."

"Sirius!" she gasped, acting as if she hadn't known. "I didn't know it was you." She did feel bad about hurting him...but she didn't like being woken up at all. When she'd had enough sleep, her body would wake her up, and that was that. "Let me see it," she teased. He gave her a weak smile and kissed her gently.

"Presents," he told her.

"Presents?" she echoed, confused, and then her eyes went wide and she leapt out of bed. "Get OUT, Sirius. I have to change. I forgot to owl Sev his present." She paused and swore, tugging on a strand of her hair.

"Sev? You call him Sev?"

"Sev...my Uncle Sev. Severus has a present too, but we're exchanging when he gets back to school. Now get out!"

Once Salene had put on her nicest Muggle clothes - though how nice could Muggle clothes be? - she grabbed her uncle's present and then sat down on the couch, defeated. "I...am dead," she announced, shoulders sagging.

"You can use my owl," Mr. Potter volunteered but she shook her head.

"He kills all animals that enter his property. In case they're Aurors in Animagus form or shape shifters."

"That's really paranoid," Potter said, frowning.

"No. They've had four shape shifters and ten Animagus try to break in using owl post. I need to floo to Hogsmeade to use an owl."

"We'll go with you," Sirius said, nodding at Potter and Lupin.

"Goody," she said sarcastically.

"You don't have to hide your lust for all three of us. I'm sure we can work something out," Potter said, patting her on the shoulder. Before Salene could properly hex him, his mom spoke up.

"James! That is not appropriate!" she lectured, frowning. "If you being at school and away from me is lowering your sense of morality, then I'll remove you! I remember how many people got in trouble when I went there - no parents around and only ten or so professors and six hundred students. FURTHERMORE-"

"Mom, we're going to go now," Potter said quickly, reaching into the floo pot and throwing a fistful into the lit fireplace. "Knockturn Alley, Owen's Own Owl's!" He stepped forward and for a fraction of a second, Salene thought the floo powder hadn't worked and Potter was going to be burned alive. But he disappeared and she sighed as Lupin followed and it was then her turn.

"Have you worked out how much I utterly hate floo travel yet?" she asked when Sirius held out the pot to her.

"Lucky for you, you have a boyfriend like me to give you a push." Before she could ask what he meant, he tossed floo powder into the fireplace and pushed her forward. She let out a startled scream of surprised and barely had time to tuck in her elbows before she was zooming along, twisting and coughing, her eyes burning as more and more ash blew into them.

She was spat out on the carpet amid the chirping and hooting of tens of owls. Someone - presumably Lupin or Potter - hauled her to her feet. She gave a final cough and used her wand to clean her eyes. "Thanks...Potter." He just nodded and used his wand to help her remove the soot from her clothes.

However, the instant Sirius tumbled out onto the carpet, she jerked him to his feet and put her face barely an inch away. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" she hissed. "I could have broken both my arms, or hit my head, or landed somewhere else-"

"But you didn't," finished Sirius, grinning. She sighed in frustration, not sure whether to hex or hug him - or both - before letting go and taking a step back, shaking her head in exasperation. After all, she had promised Sirius not to hurt him as much, and they were in a public place. A public place that was swarming with dark wizards that would spread news of their relationship faster than one could use Apparition. "Let's go," he announced brightly, smiling falsely at the numerous wizards and witches that glared at his bright voice.

"Is that a vampire?" Lupin asked with quiet interest, indicating with his head a wizard skulking in the shadows, clutching at his stomach and a grimace of pain on his face.

"No...he's allergic to the sun," Salene explained, holding her with an arrogant tilt as she pushed her way through the crowd, although quite a few people recognized her as a Snape and moved. Not very many people could appear out of nowhere and rise to the top of Muggle haters (as in Death Eaters) as the Snapes had, and they were well-regarded for it, Salene included. Except for the special few who had been revealed of her 'betrayal' but none of them would be waltzing around in daylight, even in Knockturn Alley. _Especially_ in Knockturn Alley, where spontaneous Auror raids happened weekly...which rather ruined the spontaneous effect.

Speaking of..."Hey, isn't that an Auror?" Potter asked much too loudly just as Salene finished tying her letter to her new owl. There was dead silence, and the activity of wizards and witches froze. Then, several cracks and pops broke the silence as five wizards Disapparated at once. Several more followed, and there was a scream. A humpbacked witch pushed her way into a store, knocking down a young girl in the process.

"Good going, Potter," Salene said dryly, hiding her worry when the young witch did not get up. After watching the crowds continuing to hurry over where she had fallen and not seeing her head emerge, she started to go, but a hand stopped her. "Let go," she snapped, turning and thinking Sirius or someone had grabbed her. Rather, she found herself looking slightly upward into the face of Kinglsey Shacklebolt. He'd been an Auror for about two years, and she remembered him well. He'd been one of the Aurors that had come to Durmstrang to arrest _her_ when her parents were under arrest.

"You shouldn't go anywhere," he warned. Her eyes narrowed she looked over at the street again.

"A girl just fell down, _sir_," she ground out, despite the fact he was barely five years her senior. "She's probably being trampled to death."

"There are Aurors working on that. My job is to make sure you four come with me to the Ministry," he answered. It was only then she noticed Shacklebolt also had Lupin by the shoulder and Sirius and Potter were being restrained by a muscular witch that was actually rather intimidating. They both looked put off at being suspected of...whatever they were being suspected of. Salene had a feeling it had something to do with Potter's accidental warning.

"Can I just...let go of this owl? You can read the letter," she asked, subconsciously licking her lips. He nodded, scanned what she had hastily scribbled down, and nodded once more. She released her hold on the tiny owl, no bigger than her fist, and it fluttered its wings before swooping up and away.

A quarter of an hour later, a green haired wizard came over and handed Shacklebolt a ragged teddy bear, obviously a Portkey. "On the count of three, all of you touch this," he instructed and Salene rolled her eyes.

"Really? I thought you had to eat Portkeys," she drawled.

"You're not in the position to joke around," the witch said sharply as she placed three fingers on the bear's head. Salene simply scowled.

"One...two...three," Shacklebolt counted, and she squeezed her eyes shut, her hand squeezing the bear's arm so tight it ripped half off.

* * *

"What about innocent until proven guilty?" Sirius demanded as they were ushered into a 'secured' room. By secured, it was meant that a Dementor floating in a corner. Images of the Dark Mark burned into Severus' arm floated in her head, but she pushed it down. She knew all Aurors were excellent Legilimens. 

"We always seem to meet under unfortunate circumstances," Shacklebolt said and she responded with a cold look but otherwise ignored him. "Tell me, do you read the Daily Prophet? Because I get the feeling you don't know your parents and sister are now in Azkaban for charges of Death Eater activity. The old case was picked up again, so you should expect for you and your cousin to be questioned." Although, her face betrayed no emotion, inside she was panicking. But instead of openly acknowledging him, she muttered a word under her breath that would offend anyone with dark skin. "Miss Snape," he ground out, fighting to maintain his cool, "you-"

"Kingsley, what charges were these four brought in on?" interrupted a calm voice. "It's Christmas, and I don't like being called in here."

Salene swore and glared at the man who had just entered. "Disgusting," she spat, eyes narrowing this dislike. "Potter's common sense is eclipsed by stupidity, as it often is, and _you're_ brought in." He simply smiled and Salene felt, rather than saw, Sirius shifting his confused gaze to her.

"Who's you?" he asked. She didn't answer for a moment, her eyes focused on the wizard standing before her.

"He's a _Mudblood_ brother of one of the Muggles that murdered Serena," she answered through gritted teeth.

"Tortured, yes," he disagreed, eyes narrowing fractionally. "But you were the one who choked the life out of her." There was a fraction of silence, during which Salene's eyes widened and Sirius half rose out of his seat, an angry look on his face. Then, Salene lunged out of her seat and shoved the interrogator against the wall. Time seemed to slow as her fist pulled back and then slammed into the man's face. There was a sickening crunch and time sped up again as the man's hands cupped his broken nose, tears of pain escaping his eyes as he crumpled to the ground.

The two Aurors darted forward, intending to restrain the witch, but visible pulses of red magic immobilized them against the wall, and were soon joined by Lupin and Potter. Only Sirius could stand without being shoved back. He took a tentative step forward, before crossing the room in three quick strides. He wrapped his arms around Salene in a crushing embrace, pinning her arms to her side. "Salene," he whispered, voice cracking. The touch sent flames of physical agony through them both and it distracted her enough for the magic to drop and the Aurors to rush forward, wands out. Bonds appeared out of nowhere and tied her wrists together behind her back, but there was no need. Salene couldn't have struggled if she wanted to, because her display of magic had drained her, and she blinked several times. Her last conscious sight was Sirius insisting he go with her.

* * *

"Soing?" Salene muttered, speaking incoherently in her exhaustion. Sirius smiled hesitantly and this awoke her more than it should have. "It's bad, isn't it?" 

"Well...they're holding you here until the day before term starts. Which is a week. But, er, they're not pressing formal charges because it was provoked...and..."

"Is here, by any chance, Azkaban?" she asked, noting the bars between herself and Sirius. By the way he went simultaneously red and white, a combination that blotched his skin, answered her question. "I'm not surprised," she admitted. "I did break a 'respected' official's nose while I was in custody."

"And his jaw," Sirius added, and then bit his lip. "Sorry." There was a pause, and then, "I want to stay here with you." She smiled and reached through her bars to gently lay a hand on his face.

"Don't. If anything, you should be angry. I completely ruined your Christmas. At least salvage what you can," she said quietly. He reached up and laid his hand over hers, the other hand reaching out and tilting her chin so she looked in his eyes.

"It would have been worse knowing you were lazing around the castle for two weeks, all by yourself." He paused and grinned rather cheekily. "At least I'm never bored." There were several moments of silence, and Salene plucked up her courage as she saw the distant form of an Auror coming down the long corridor.

"You know what I like best about you?"

"My sinfully good looks?" he guessed in a would-be innocent tone.

"No. You know when to be dominant, and when to be submissive," she answered, her voice soft. "I mean," she continued at his raised eyebrows, "you can let your guard down and sob your heart out, or you can guard your emotions behind humor. And it could be irritating, but you always know when to do which." She leaned forward and kissed him gently, breaking away when the footsteps of the Auror became audible.

"You know what," he said thoughtfully as he took a step back, aware of the Auror's gaze, "so do you."

* * *

**End Author's Notes: **Last bit of fluff for what feels like forever, at least for me. As always _huge _thanks go out to **CerealKiller**. If you're into fictionpress, I recently found an author Myrika there, and she's completely awesome. If you've got time, go check her out. As a final note, this chapter wasn't even looked over but the other one. Happy weekend - four day weekend for me. I love weather days...  



	13. Chapter V VII

**Title:** Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Twelve

**Summary: **Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

**Pairings: **SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

**Feedback: _ALL_** feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

**Rating/Warnings: **This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. The romance in this story, however, does not pass a light PG-13, if that. Mainly you have to watch out for language and torture/abuse.

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry this was TWO days late. I even had Friday off due to weather days, but I have a bunch of projects that I left to the last minute, so...anyway. The next update WILL be Friday. **There is graphic violence in this chapter of M rating.** It's essential to the plot, though, so if you don't want to read it you can email me or something and I can just give you the outline of what happens.

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Salene could not block out the screams, despite the hands pressed firmly over her ears. Although, it was not really surprising her hands didn't work, because the screams were in her mind and not physical. Well, not that screams were ever physical...but...and anyway, who _was_ screaming? Was it her mother, being tortured by her father for having an affair? Or was it herself, being held under Cruciatas as 'training' for being a Death Eater? Then again, maybe it was Serena, her screams hoarse as they ripped through her raw throat...

'_Stop_,' her mind whispered. '_Just...do...rocks._' It was amazing and terribly pathetic that being Azkaban for so little time had weakened her mind. Did people realize the torture Death Eaters inflicted on people? Of course, she had more truly bad memories than most, but...wait...the rocks...

Within fifteen minutes of being alone in her cell, Salene had noticed a pile of light rocks in the corner, and the various scribbling and tally marks on the stone walls. It was obvious the wizard guards had planted them there for their own amusement, to see how many days someone could last before falling deep enough into to madness to stop counting the days. It made her more nauseous than she already felt, but wanted to keep count of how many days she'd been in. And through the half foot by half foot window, a full day had passed. But she refused to give her guards the satisfaction of knowing she was counting down the days.

She ran a hand over the rough wall of her cell, thinking in the barely coherent way she'd developed. A cracked stone passed underneath her hand with a sharp pain, and she pulled away to see a rapidly increasing pool of blood on the heel of her hand. She brought her hand up to suck on her blood and an idea occurred to her. '_But...infected...possibly...go on..._'

She rose on shaky legs and walked over to the room and carefully separated the rocks by size and shape. Picking up the sharpest and smallest, she pulled up her prison gown to reveal her stomach. With a quick look around to assure herself the only 'living' thing other than herself, a few rats, and two dementors, she lowered the rock against her stomach. With a quick pressing motion, she cut into her stomach so that a thin red line appeared. She let the material fall back down, wincing against the roughness on her newly punctured skin, and dropped the rock. Not a moment too soon, it seemed, because a second later she heard the jingling of fingers searching through a ring of keys, and then a click of a lock unlocking.

"Snape...you have visitors," he said coldly, and his eyes traveled down to her sorted rocks and he smirked. "Merlin, you're only going to be here five days. I doubt anyone spoiled as you has any bad memories. Unless you're finally getting a conscience."

There was many responses Salene could have said, but she opted for a whispered, "Merlin has nothing to do with this." He laughed, a growly and unfriendly sound, and pointed his wand at her. She flinched away before she could control herself, and his smirk went wider as he magically bound her. She followed behind him, hesitating before crossing out of her cell. The dementors were waiting for her, and shifted slightly closer. Every scream, gasps of horror, sobs, and mocking laughter she had ever heard exploded in her head. Her legs refused to support her and she reached out for something - anything - to support her. Unfortunately, a scaly, flesh-rotten hand took hold of hers and she looked up, struggling with unconsciousness, into the unhooded face (if you could call it that) of a Dementor. For, it wasn't really a face. It was really a scaly mound of hundred-years-old flesh with gray lips rounded in a perfect 'o' as it leaned down, sucking in the she was breathing.

Just as she felt sure she was going to suffocate to death, the guard stepped in and yelled something she couldn't quite comprehend. A shimmery, ghost-like veela pounced on the Dementor and it righted itself and pulled back its hood, even as it uttered an unearthly cry and floated away. The guard didn't say anything as he jerked Salene to her feet and pulled her along roughly with him. Just outside the visitor's room, he handed her robes and told her to put them on over her prison gown. She nodded distantly and did so, before following him into the room. The entire Potter family (as well as Sirius and Lupin) were crowded in the room, as well as...

"Professor Dumbledore?" Her voice came out surprised, but she wasn't surprised to see him. She was surprised she recognized him. She couldn't have pointed to the various Potter members and named them, and it made her head ache to think 'Sirius' and 'Lupin' for the right people.

"You can sit," he said kindly, nodding at a chair a few feet away from her. She shook her head.

"If I...sit...I might...not be...able to move...again," she told him, her sentence riddled with deep gasping breaths for air. A hand went to her throat and though the lightest pressure seared her throat, it didn't seem as if her neck was bruised. She hates the weakness she was showing.

"Salene...what's wrong?" Sirius asked, standing and crossing the room. Apparently, this was against instructions he'd been giving, as Mr. Potter rose from his seat, but Dumbledore shook his head.

"Dementor's Kiss," she replied, falling into his welcome hug.

"You didn't get the Kiss, did you?" he asked, sounding startled and angry as he pulled away, his hand still holding hers. She shook her head, and attempted a smile, though she was positive it came out as more of a grimace. "Of course you didn't," he continued, rolling his eyes. He was obviously distracting himself. "If you'd gotten the Kiss, you'd just be an empty shell...empty..." He trailed of, his voice choking up and his head turning. "I can't lose you," he whispered, voice hoarse with restrained tears. Then he was tightening his arms so they were more involved in a desperate clutch than a hug.

"Isn't there a bond...some way we can buy her out?" he asked, turning to the guard that had brought her in with desperate eyes. Salene knew he would find no sympathy, and so she shook her head slightly and put a hand on his arm.

"It's alright. I'll be out soon," she told him, considerably calmed and breathing more easily than she had been. "Just...how was your Christmas?" Her question was dripping with desperate eagerness, and he nodded slowly. Pulling his chair next to the other empty one, they both took a seat and he exhaled slowly.

"Well...Lupin got a gift from Snape," he began, shooting her a tight smile. "It was...well..." he glanced at Mr. Potter as a slow blush colored his cheeks.

"Inappropriate," Mrs. Potter said firmly. "Handcuffs...honestly..." Salene couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"Never thought you to be the submissive type, Lupin. Or into bondage." He scowled, tossing his head to get the hair out of his eyes as Potter's parents frowned in her direction.

"Actually," he bit out, "he was returning them to me. _I_ used them on _him_." At that, she started to laugh, and couldn't stop. It was better than the only other option, which was sobbing miserably.

* * *

'_Day three begins_,' Salene thought distantly as another line of red appeared to the other two. By now, the edge of the stone she'd been using was coated in her own blood, but it didn't bother her. She'd seen enough blood to not get queasy at the sight of it. 

With a noise of depression, she took two steps to her cot and laid down on it, staring at the ceiling. It was getting harder not to fall into the darkness that accompanied the screaming and sobbing. The sweet, blissful, merciful blackness...She groaned and smacked her head, though that ended up being a bad move because it only worsened her migraine. "Stupid," she said aloud, though not sure if she was speaking to herself, or the Dementors, or the solitary wizard guard outside her cage. Apparently, the guards were a special type of wizard that were incredibly powerful - magic wise, at least - and could be trained to block out the effect of Dementors. What she wouldn't give for their gift..._gift, curse really_..._destined_..._so cold_...

She shivered and hugged herself tightly as the screaming abruptly stopped. Her breath was now visible and her teeth began to chatter. '_No, cold...don't_,' she thought, rubbing her eyes. She had decided the day before she hated thinking, because her thoughts were sucked away and replaced with fragments of phrases worthy of a two-year-old. Since when had thinking been happy?

It was then she finally noticed the screaming had stopped. Sitting up gingerly, she looked out through the bars. Were the Dementors gone? No, they weren't...and yet...

Without warning, her head exploded in pain and she let out a scream as she fell, forehead first. There was a sickening crack and Salene wondered, in the corner of her mind, if she was going to die. And she had just enough time to hope she would before she succumbed to unconsciousness. And she was wrong in the respect that she thought it was the best thing for her.

For, when she opened her eyes she found herself standing over Sirius' battered body, his eyes fluttering shut and his hands clutching at his chest as he gasped for breath. She looked down, silent tears streaming down her face, and reached for her wand. But before she could do what she intended - hurt or heal she wasn't sure - Sirius pulled something from the air. Something metallic and L-shaped. As she watched, curiosity stirring despite herself, Sirius pressed the longer end to his head, and squeezed his finger.

The resulting bang was barely registered by her ears as she was too horrifically entranced by Sirius' head, or what was left of it. The metal thing had _blown away his head_. And was that his br - Oh Merlin...

She leaned to the side and promptly vomited what little she'd eaten in the last day or so. She continued to retch and then turned and her eyes widened in surprise as Sirius' head repaired itself, only for it to pale, his nose to lengthen, and his hair to thin. It was face of Severus, and soon attached to the proper body. Her sweaty left hand still clutched her wand, and she raised it, intending to accio the metal thing. But before she could, Severus pointed it to his head and squeezed his finger, just as Sirius had done.

Then, even as Salene was sobbing and her stomach and heart wrenching, she had straddled the corpse, and her hands tightened on the bruised neck. Her fingers went tighter and her eyes closed at the insanity that had gripped her. Then, incredibly she heard desperate gasps of air, and her eyes slowly opened, to find herself sitting on top of a struggling Sarina, her green eyes wide in panic, strangled screams escaping her. Salene wanted to let go, to release her younger sister and Avada Kedavra herself. But her fingers wouldn't cooperate with the voice screaming in her mind. As Sarina drew in her last breath, she morphed into Serena, only Serena as she had been when seven-year-old Salene had murdered her.

Serena's eyes shut as a hand half-lifted to the two throttling her neck. Only when her chest stopped rising and falling did the invisible weights on her entire body lift and could she stand and stumble away from the still form of her long-dead sister. Her sight was blinded by her coursing river of her tears and she tripped over something, and for a distant moment she thought it was a root. But when her hands and teary eyes searched within five feet of where she'd fallen, there was nothing except vibrating smoothness. She reached up and wiped her eyes to clear them, despite the fact it was a failed attempt. Tears sprung just seconds later, and she dropped her head into her hands.

Then, there was a tap on her shoulder. Heart thudding, she now inhaled a sickly smell that made her gag, even as she resisted turning around. But the 'invisible weights' were now pressing on her back and sides, forcing her to turn. Her eyes remained closed, however, until one cracked open as foul, warm puffs of breath on her face. She let out a strangled scream of terror she found herself face to face with a skeleton, strips of rotten flesh hanging from the bones. Though there was no true way to determine if she was right, she felt as if it was Severus' skeleton. Not that it mattered, because three other skeletons, in various forms of decomposing, were just a step behind him, and it was obvious they were the people she'd either witnessed committing suicide or murdered.

The pressure lifted once more and she fell back, crawling backwards, away and away. In the single Muggle movie she'd seen, a horror film, every girl that fell to the ground crawled away instead of standing and running. And they were, inevitably, caught and devoured by the snarling werewolf (which looked and acted nothing like a true werewolf, though that was beside the point). She'd thought they'd been incredibly stupid and pathetic, not rising. But now Salene understood why. She was so petrified in sheer terror; her legs refused to cooperate with the instructions her mind was giving them.

"I can't do this anymore," she cried, curling up and sobbing, her whole body shaking with grief. "I don't care...I just want to wake up...or die..._please_..."

A cackling, wicked laughter surrounded her from all sides, pushing in on her the 'weights' did - invisible and yet very, very forceful. She let out a wail and her head pounded and then -

Silence. She raised her head slowly, trembling, to find the skeletons were gone, and so was the pressure and the mocking laughter. And her hand was so cold...no, wait. The metal L she'd seen Sirius and Severus use...it was in her hand. For a brief moment of insanity, her hand raised and the coldness was pressed on her temple, the way she'd seen them do it. But then the images of their heads, half blown away with blood and brains spilling out...

With a furious cry of defeat-yet-triumph, she hurled the L away and collapsed, panting as if her decision had taken a physical toll. There was a whisper of 'good job' and then her eyes closed and she felt the vibrating blackness swirl around and then get sucked into her body, as her back arched and she screamed...

* * *

**End Author's Notes: **Sorry for the cliffhanger...and the short-ish chapter. HUGE thanks to CerealKiller, and sorry I didn't reply to the last review(s) you left. is guilty  



	14. Chapter V VIII

**Warnings: **Violence, torture, language.

**Author's Notes: **I never have anything to say in these, so from now on the only thing I'm posting in the update is the chapter.

* * *

Salene had forgotten how to count. She'd changed from marking her stomach every time light reappeared to marking her stomach every time the nightmare returned. After the three ones for the days, there was about fifteen. Not that she knew that, because she'd forgotten how to count and to her it was just lines of sharp pain when her fingers touched them. It meant nothing to her. The only reason she continued to mark was it had become a reflex.

She blinked, eyes scrunched up as she raised her head from the comforting blackness of her prison robes. The light was too bright...first star I see tonight. She giggled to herself, though it hurt her throat, raw from screaming. Her throat was raw from screaming, not her giggle...hmm...

"It's been five days," the Auror-guard-devil snapped. "Your escorts are here."

Salene frowned, uncomprehending. Escorts? What was an escort? And how many was five? She would have asked, if she remembered how to speak. But the guard was beckoning, and that meant to come. Using the wall as support, she rose to her feet and took several shaky steps to the two people standing outside. One was a strange looking man, with a floor-brushing beard and shiny robes. His eyes were hard and angry and she glared back at him. What right did he have to glare at a Snape? But, no, he wasn't glaring at her...oh...

The young man standing next to him was Sirius. She could name his immediately because she'd constantly seen his battered body, and blown away head. She let out a strangled cry and began to sob into her hands. Strong arms wrapped around her and she knew it was him. "Don't die again," she choked out, words of pleading filling her and spilling out in a helpless babble. He stroked her hair, murmuring something she couldn't make out. Distantly, she was aware of Dumbledore talking in cold, fierce tones to the two guard-devils that had been watching her.

To her shock, Sirius swung her into his arms and frowned. "You don't weigh anything," he told her softly. He leaned down and kissed her gently, on the forehead, each eyelid, and then her mouth. "I love you." She tightened her hold on him and nodded.

* * *

She was resting in a bed. Although the bed felt like heaven on her stiff and cramping muscles, she'd refused to relinquish her grab on Sirius' robes. So after he eased her into bed, he laid down with her, kissing her all over her face, but in a way that was more comforting than physical. 

"Are you going to be okay?" he murmured, lips barely moving, the fearful concern evident on his face. Salene just tightened her grip, but she felt semi-confident she would be okay, as long as Sirius never sustained an injury, and neither did Sirius. And Sarina steered clear of her. And no one ever, ever asked her what she'd seen. Been affected by. Hm.

Over the next two weeks, Salene recovered gradually, to the point her thoughts were coherent and she didn't cast Ennervate on herself just to stay awake, fearing she'd collapse into the vivid nightmare once more. However, she still spoke very little, and had to be within five feet of Sirius at all times. When she had to floo back a day early because she couldn't be on the train, Sirius had to floo before her to greet her in Dumbledore's office and then, fifteen minutes and much silently exchanged terror later, floo back to the Potter's.

"Your cousin is here," the headmaster told her, eyes widened in faux innocence. "He believes you just got out of Azkaban today, as does the majority of the Wizarding world." Salene nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring fixedly at the corner of the circular office. Wait... With a sigh, she shook her head, her long ponytail whapping her in the face. Hair could really be a dangerous weapon. But at least she was now distracted and her thoughts were on a sane track.

"Can I see him?" she asked quietly.

"Just turn around," Professor Dumbledore said with a small smile and she did, her face breaking into a relieved smile. Tiny though it was, it was a smile. Severus was leaning against the doorway, looking slightly stunned as his eyes flicked up and down over her. She smiled tentatively into his concerned face and he took a step forward and pulled her into a crushing hug.

Her fingers tightened on his robes even when he pulled away. His eyes flitted down to where she was grasping him before he looked into her eyes and his frown deepened. "Did they even feed you?" She nodded, though stopped quickly because it made her dizzy.

Clearing her throat she answered, in a voice hoarse from constricted tears, "They did. But I didn't eat it. Didn't have the strength." He looked away, pointing his raging scowl at over her shoulder, and she nudged him with her elbow. "I'm okay," she promised. "Or, at least, I will be."

"That's not very reassuring." He paused and added, "Distraught." Her brow furrowed before she realized he had given the statue the password. The ten foot tall wizard, snakes embroidered on his robes and a hissing one coiled around his neck, took a step to the side so the entrance was unblocked.

"How funny is it that I was worried about you and yet I got in trouble?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. He simply glared at her, in a way that was more concerned than angry.

"Not very," he said, words clipped.

"Severus-" She broke off, unsure of what to say. He turned to her and drew her into another hug.

"Get some rest. School starts again tomorrow." Before she could reply, he had turned in a whirl of robes and glided up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. She stared after him, the fear swelling in her. What if someone did something to him? No, she was being silly. He was fine. She meant to turn but found herself running up the stairs, crying at her loss of free will. She wanted to go lie down, but her body had other plans.

Zabini was saying something in a low tone, eyes narrowed and his face inches from Severus'. Salene knew he was threatening Severus and before she fully thought about it, she pounced forward and trapped him under her, pounding his face with her fists, putting the little strength she had into every punch. There was a crack as her strongest punch hit his nose, and blood began to ooze from between his eyes. He let out a half whimper, half cry of pain and his hands rose to cover his face. She proceeded to break two of his fingers before Severus pulled her off him. Not wanting to hurt him, her bloody hands settled immediately and were scrubbed on her robes as she sobbed. What was _wrong_ with her?

"Salene," Severus whispered, "go in the girls' dormitory and go to sleep. I'll put a memory charm on him and then take him to the infirmary. I'll come and talk to you later." She nodded and leaned against the closest bed, stomach twisting unpleasantly as the levitating form of Zabini passed her. She pressed a hand to her mouth, feeling her disgust and scared confusion welling up in her throat in the form of vomit. She remained in that position, frozen, thinking she had closed her eyes and that was the reason for the blackness. But she hadn't.

She tried to open her eyes, but nothing happened. Her fingers went to her eyes and she found they were open. Panic set in and she stumbled down the stairs, tripping and falling down the last five. She stuck her hands out, searching blindly, before flinging herself on the first couch she found. Unfortunately, she overestimated the length and slammed her head down on the armrest. The wooden armrest. A migraine immediately set in, as well as a painful throbbing in the back of her head. Salene curled into a ball, arms over her head as she dry sobbed.

* * *

"Salene?" Someone was shaking her. Calling her name. "Salene, wake up. Why are you bleeding?" The voice was panicked. Who was it? "Wake up!" Oh, yes. Severus. 

Salene struggled into a sitting position, her migraine worse and her sight still gone. "Severus, I can't see," she whispered as she blinked several times. Nothing changed - still darkness. "I don't know why...I'm scared." There was silence for a long time, and the hands moved from her arms. She reached out, arms waving wildly until she hit a face. She grabbed onto what she assumed was his neck and he sighed.

"I don't want to take you to the hospital wing just yet. It's too close to Zabini's accident. If you're not better by the Welcoming Feast tonight, I'll take you, okay?" She nodded tightly and he moved form her grasp.

"Severus," she whispered. "You can't leave me."

"Do you trust me?" His voice was empty, almost cold, and it scared her. He'd never completely hidden his emotions from her. And it wasn't like she could read his eyes.

"Yes," she answered immediately, nodding for emphasis.

"I'm going to take you upstairs and you're going to lay down and sleep. I think I know what happened and I'm going to research it in the library. If anyone wakes you up, keep pretending to be asleep. If it's me, I'll say so. If it's Professor Dumbledore-" he hesitated and she wondered what was going on. He was ordering her about, being secretive...something had happened on the way to the infirmary, or even while he was there. Or maybe he was just scared about her being blind and couldn't handle it any other way.

"If it's Dumbledore," she prompted, even as she was following him upstairs.

"Give him this." Severus put a balled up sheet of parchment in her hand and then took her other hand and put it on something that felt like a bed. Severus confirmed it when she asked, but before she could ask anything else, he whispered, "Don't forget I love you, Salene." He kissed her gently on the forehead and then was gone - his hand on her arm and his strong scent of liquid bezoar stone, a common ingredient in the more complex potions. For some reason, his parting words unsettled her more than 'I hate you' would have.

* * *

Salene was getting rather sick of waiting. How could she possibly sleep? She kept rubbing her eyes, thinking - stupidly - that maybe something was in her eyes. This only irritated her eyes and so she stopped and petted her sheets, comforted by the now-familiar feel of silk sheets. At Durmstrang they were scratchy cotton because the headmaster believed it built up character. She couldn't hold back a snort at the thought. How did sleeping on itchy sheets make you tougher and successful? 

She sighed and twisted to one side, reaching out, fingers searching her nightstand until she found the balled up piece of parchment and picked it back up. Her hands had been sweating horribly and she didn't want to smear the ink or something, making it unreadable. But she was so crazy from boredom - anticipation - she felt like her mind was covered in bug bites, stinging and itching. She had to do something.

She forced her mind back on task, carefully smoothed out the sheet, running her fingers over it to see if the ink had created any bubbles. No. Severus' hand writing was smooth and there was no way she could even get an idea of what he'd written. She felt tempted to shred it, just to show...what? She knew how to rip paper?

With a growl of frustration, at herself, at Severus, at Zabini, she crumpled the parchment back into a ball and threw it across the room. Why would Dumbledore come checking up on her anyway? And what right did Severus have to boss her around? Better yet, why was she obediently listening to him, like some abused animal, eager to please. Just because she had randomly gone blind didn't mean she had to curl up in bed, weak and pathetic, crying until her cousin in greasy black rescued her. She snorted and threw the covers off, stepping out of bed and striding forward several steps, confidence restored. She took another step forward and slipped on the edge of a stair. A spell, useless to her wandless self, issued from her lips, even as she was rolling down and down, for what seemed like forever but ended in a second. Her whole body ached and now she really was curled up, body protesting against the slightest movement. And did she smell, slight though it was, a scent of blood. Her hands searched her head and then she brought them up to her nose, sniffing. No blood. She did this with different body parts until she reached her left thigh. There, she felt the blood, oozing and warm and yet chilling. She wiped her hands and closed her eyes. Not that it made a difference.

The silence, barring the thudding of her heart, was unbearable. The castle was usually so full of people. '_And the one time it isn't, I fall down the stairs_,' Salene thought wryly, a painful smirk twisting her lips. '_And go blind_.' Though, perhaps it was better no one was around to witness the latter part. Except...she wanted Sirius very badly. And if her eyesight didn't return, she didn't know what she'd do. If she could never see Severus again, or Sirius, or...or...well, there was nothing else she wanted to see, really. Her own reflection didn't interest her, and she'd never had the proper time to enjoy nature. 'Stop and smell the pollen' was what the Muggles said, or something equally absurd. You didn't have to stop to smell pollen, it was floating in the air.

Salene sneered at her own track of thoughts. She was immobilized on the floor and thinking of Muggles. Black really was rubbing off on her. Wait...was someone calling her name? Yes, and either she was going deaf too or they were quite far away. Deciding - hoping - it was the latter choice, she strained her ears, trying to decide if it was Severus and whether or not she should shout back. No...it was...Professor Dumbledore. Damn...Severus had to be planning something. Dumbledore would never look for her on his own will. Would he? Unless...

Her mind, which had rusted over in Azkaban, suddenly felt freshly oiled as she started thinking. Really thinking. What if Dumbledore was only being kind in hopes she'd become a spy like Severus had? Would she do it? Could she? The answer...no. Being that close to Dark Arts and defenseless Muggles all the time would seduce her to the 'Dark side,' as it was affectionately called. Even though she hated the Dark Lord with a passion, as well as all he stood for, she also despised all Muggles, and Mudbloods, for what had happened to Serena. Even though the death was on her hands. Salene wouldn't have had to make the decision if it hadn't been for those Merlin-forsaken Muggle boys.

She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, attempting to look unconscious, as she heard the password being half-shouted. Two pairs of footsteps echoed in the stone room and her breathing pretty much stopped as there was a sharp inhale and one pair of footsteps hurried up drastically. She felt someone kneel by her, their hands finding her neck. "There's a pulse," a familiar but unrecognized voice said. "And I feel her breath on my hand." That was rather weird.

"She looks conscious." That was Professor Dumbledore, of course. She ground her teeth together, and would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't pretending to be unconscious. Of course, he would suspect her faking anyway. "Try Incendio and see if she wakes up." Salene tensed, all the while wondering if he was right in the head, but didn't open her eyes. Apparently, she didn't need to because her robes, or something, had moved when she'd steeled herself and Dumbledore had noticed. "Salene, we're not going to hurt you," he said softly.

"I didn't think you would," she spat, attempting to sit up. Her muscles screamed out and refused to support her weight, so she ended up collapsing into the arm of the unknown person. "Who are you?" she demanded, trying to wriggle out of the iron grip. She _hated_ this, being wandless and blind.

"Peter Pettigrew, Hufflepuff Head Prefect."


	15. Chapter V VIIII

Salene blinked and slowly sat up, turning her head, trying to conjure up an image of the infirmary. There would four empty beds across from her, and three on her sides, though how many on each side depended on which bed she was. She decided there was one on her left, and three on her right, simply because she wanted to. The turquoise and white linoleum would be gleaming, spelled to clean perfection. Several feet above each bed would be a gas lamp, which only Hogwarts still used. She wasn't entirely sure why, because they were so easy to burn things with, either inanimate or living.

With a sigh, she turned her thoughts back to the present, ceasing her stalling. She'd seen Pettigrew in the Slytherin common room several times. He was a cowardly thing, not fit to be labeled human, and he was bullied into befriending Gryffindors, intending to betray them to Dar-Voldemort (She still remembered Bellatrix accusing her of being a coward for not saying his name). Intending to betray them to _Voldemort_ at a later date. Maybe not until a few weeks after graduation, maybe not for a few years. That was assuming Voldemort was in power in a few years. What with the rising opposition of the Wizarding population, she doubted it greatly. Then again, the majority was still terrorized by his name, coming up with intimate questions to ask family members before letting them in the house. As if Voldemort was interested in them, Mudblood or not. The only time he killed Mudbloods was in mass attacks, poisoning a water supply and such.

"Salene?" She turned at her name to the direction she thought Sirius' voice was coming from. "How are you feeling?" Before she could answer, he added, "It's Sirius." She let herself smile faintly and opened her arms so he could hug her.

"I knew that," she told him softly, reaching up and putting a hand on the side of his face. His presence made the small aches she was feeling melt away, and she nuzzled into his neck. "I want to see you." There was silence for a long time, his arms protecting her, though from what she couldn't determine. She lifted her head to say something else, but her mouth was met with his, tongues immediately reaching toward each other. The kiss was passionate and yet tender, as if their mouths were making love. When she pulled away, breathing heavily, her insides liquid, she tugged on his hands and scooted over in the bed. With any words, he understood and lay down next to her. With their bodies so close, she could feel his racing heartbeat against his. "Sirius?"

"Yes?" he asked, voice softer than a whisper. His hand was running up and down her back and then lower...

"I love you." He sucked in his breath and she felt his hands cradle her face, and then gentle kisses were showered on her forehead and eyelids, and finally he kissed her slowly on the mouth.

"Tell me again when you get your sight back," he murmured in her ear and she was startled to feel wetness on her cheeks, from both her eyes and his.

"Don't you want me?" Salene asked. Suddenly, nothing had been as important as this. She needed him, needed him to say he loved her, to take her and be inside her. Her body was aching for it, and her heart wanted it too. And if he said no...

"I do," he said firmly, though the edge was taken away by the hoarse quality of his voice. "Godric, I do. But...I can't. Salene, _you_ can't. This is going to sound patronizing, but you don't know what you want. You're just confused and lonely." He paused and she felt his lips descending on hers again, though for a shorter time than before. "I love you, Salene Snape. I always will. But I can't take advantage of you like this. I won't." When she didn't answer - what could she say to that? - he pulled her even closer, his grip on her tightening slightly. "When we do make love, and we will if you still want to...I want it to be special. I want it to take all night and then I want to fall asleep with you in my arms. Or me in your arms. Then I want to spend the entire next day cuddling in bed and doing it again and again." He laughed in a way that sounded slightly crazy, and she felt a strange pang of loss that she couldn't see him during this speech.

"You're right," she agreed, suddenly exhausted. "I'm sorry. You're right. But I do want you to stay with me tonight." He nodded and she nestled her head into the curve between his neck and shoulder. One of his hands slipped underneath the back of her shirt and lightly rubbed her back until she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Salene awoke, her hands patted the area around her, and she called out Sirius' name. He didn't answer, but the voice she now knew to be Peter Pettigrew's did. "I'm glad you're awake." His squeaky voice grated on her nerves as it hit her ears and she let out a growl of irritation. 

"I don't feel like talking to you. I don't associate with liars and backstabbers," she spat, wanting to put her back to him but not trusting him enough to do so. Salazar fucking Slytherin, she hated not being able to see. And yet, every time she thought that, she reasoned with herself that she couldn't see Sirius or Severus if they did get hurt. But in that same respect, she couldn't see if them if they got hurt. So she wanted to be able to see, good or bad. She had-

"Funny, because everyone says _you_ are," he sneered, though he sounded tense and worried. She could see him perfectly in his mind, his unshaven face, his protruding bones, his already thinning hair, his nervous cringing while he wrung his hands together. She'd been told by Sirius he'd been average build - height and weight - until mid fifth year, when (although this was unknown to Sirius) Voldemort's followers sought him out for his cowardly nature (easy to bully and hard to suspect) and for making friendships so easily. Since then, he'd lost about thirty pounds and shot up about a foot. He now looked like a walking pole with body parts, though granted a nervous, fearful pole.

"Pettigrew, don't test me. You know very well I'd have no qualms about turning you in," she snapped, anger boiling over. And maybe a bit of insecurity about Sirius having left in the middle of the night.

"Yes, you do," he bit back, sounding more confident than he had before. He was in his element now. He knew how well-protected he was. He was one of the Da...Voldemort's favorite. "You turn me in and you'll have some of the most powerful Wizards hunting you. Not even that fool Dumbledore can protect you then."

"You underestimate him," she said evenly, fighting against the urge to make fists. He'd see through her then. "Or perhaps you overestimate Voldemort's lackeys."

"How dare you say his name, blood traitor," Pettigrew snarled, though there was a squeak of fear in his words. Before she could fully process this, there was a sharp pain in her face and a sickening sound of flesh on flesh. He had _hit_ her.

Salene jumped to her feet but before she could do anything she heard a cry of dismay, the clattering sounds of many items being dropped to the floor, and a sound of something slamming into the wall. "If you ever-" _slam_ "-ever, ever-" _slam_ "-touch her again-" _slam_ "-you won't live to regret it." Many slams. Throughout Sirius's 'speech' Pettigrew squawked and made empty threats but she heard him flee the room as the death grip was removed from him. "He didn't seriously hurt you, did he?" She smiled, stretching out a hand. She waited until she felt his hand covering her own before shaking her head.

"Weak little rat like that? Never." She smiled, but in truth her face was stinging and the smile cramped the pain, if that made _any_ sense. She had a feeling it didn't, but there was no other way to describe it. Sirius seemed to sense this, and he hugged her in response, before changing the subject.

"I brought you breakfast...but I dropped it," he admitted. She simply shrugged.

"I'm not very hungry anyway," she said honestly. "I'd rather just talk."

"What about?" he asked easily, sitting down next to her on the bed and wrapping an arm loosely around her waist.

"Do you think I'll ever see again?" she whispered, her hand resting on his as she spoke the words she'd been dreading to say. There was heavy silence and she felt him tense next to her. Tears began to build and she bent her head as several escaped. One landed on her hand, and she felt it trickle off, presumably landing on his hand. She suspected that was the reason he abruptly took her chin gently and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. Not that it mattered, because she couldn't look. His thumb brushed over her bottom lip in an affectionate gesture. His thumb - entire hand, in fact - was pleasantly calloused and she leaned into his touch as the tears came faster. "I don't want to be blind," she sobbed. "It's so lonely. Even with you being here, touching me and talking...I feel so alone."

"You'll see again," he said, almost in a bossy tone. "Your blindness is...well, I forgot the word. You know how stupid I am."

"Don't say that," she protested, reaching out to place both her hands on his face, simply to reassure herself of his presence. "Not everyone - as in, no one - can master healing magic and become an Animagus without being a genius." She felt a smile blossom under her fingertips, and she felt rather sure he was blushing and asked. He only nodded, before taking her hands in his and placing a kiss on each fingertip.

"Thank you," he responded, voice soft. "Do you know the word for something mental that affects your physical...um..."

"Condition?" she suggested. "It's psychosomatic, I think. Severus would know better than me." He laughed and hugged her close. Salene loved his hugs. Sometimes, they were better than kisses, because she got to breathe in the white chocolate smell that was Sirius, feeling safe and warm in his embrace, no thought of doing anything else than simply being. Being with Sirius, of course. And if they did get into a little kissing, as was often the case, it was gentle, tender kisses that suggested nothing more than love shared between two people. Sometimes, she had to think about what people always said: You changed too much from age eighteen to...whatever age...to love someone forever if you'd loved them at eighteen. But even if she did, she couldn't imagine her love deserting them, her life without him. Funny that when she'd first seen him she'd been annoyed with him, though faintly amused. And now...well, now most of the time she was amused with him and faintly annoyed.

"Yes, that." His words drew her from her thoughts and she smiled, though she wished she could see, rather than feel, the smile in return.

* * *

Severus visited later in the day, though Salene was still so buoyant about her conversations - both the one they'd had that morning and the one the night before - and yet slightly depressed about her lack of sight. Halfway through a sentence, Severus suddenly fell silent, and she reached for him in concern. Lately, she had rather felt like she was mute too. "Severus?" she called, fearful he had left, or been harmed, her heart swelling and- 

"I'm here, Salene." His voice was calming and she let out a sigh of relief, though she didn't withdraw her arm until he had taken hold of it. "I researched what's causing this. It's like psychosomatics-" she stifled a laugh at the irony "-only for wizards and witches it's different. If they have extreme emotional stress, their magic does something physical to try and prevent and/or ease the stress. It can vary from a short period in a comma to death, depending on the degree of stress. From the fact it blinded you, I'm guessing you saw something horrible." She nodded tersely and was surprised when he squeezed her hand and made a noise of compassion. "Salene...I know it won't be easy...but if you can I'd like for you to tell me what you saw in Azkaban. I think I can help you see again." She nodded and tightened her grip on his hand.

"See, the thing is, what I saw, I saw mentally," she began, and went on to recount, in as much detail as she could muster (though she left out Sirius entirely), what she'd been visited with, basically every minute of every day she'd been in prison. Since the second day, at least. For the first time since she'd lost her sight, she was thankful she couldn't see Severus. She couldn't see the range of emotions she was sure were passing freely through his face, knowing she couldn't see...but if she could see, would he still show his concern? Then again, they wouldn't be having this conversation at all if she hadn't been sent to Azkaban. And she wouldn't have been in Azkaban if she hadn't gone to Knockturn Alley because Sirius had invited her over. So, what, it was Sirius' fault? No, that was utterly ridiculous. It was an accident, a stupid accident. The odd thing was, when everything boiled down, it was Voldemort's fault. If he hadn't come into power there wouldn't have been so many surprise raids of Knockturn Alley and James would never have been accused of 'treason'.

She was startled out of her musings when Severus' hand gently closed around her wrist and brought her hand down on his wet wrist. "What do you think that is?" he asked, voice soft.

"I don't know," she said, bewildered.

"It's blood. I slit my wrist." Her heart lurched and she jerked away from him, bursting into stunned tears. And yet, even as she did so, her mind protested Severus wouldn't do something so foolish and her heart insisted if she couldn't see it, it wasn't happening. "Just as I thought," he whispered, confusing her even more. What had he thought? "Salene, calm down. That was blood, but I made a cut on my shoulder and rubbed my wrist in it before healing the cut. Then I used Legilimens to read your thoughts." Her heart slowed and she hiccupped a sob of relief. "Salene, I was right. Somehow, your heart convinced your magic seeing causes people pain, and without your sight, I and Sarina can't get hurt."

The only response she could come up with was, "Of course you'd put yourself first." He laughed, a deep burst of amusement that started slow and ended fast.

"I read about something and I want to try it. Do you trust me?" Salene nodded and waited nervously while Severus released her arm and the overwhelmingly loneliness of blindness returned. There was a rustle of fabric, and then the softness of silk was pressed against her eyes and tied around the back of her head. She didn't bother asking, guessing he would tell her what he was doing. She was right. "You see, I know you want to see. And your mind does too, along with the magic that belongs to your mind. And while your mind controls more magic, your emotion's magic is more powerful," he explained. She must have looked confused, because he went on in further detail. "Every wizard has a certain amount of magic, which is determined in their DNA. That is why Purebloods have a greater chance of being powerful - their DNA is more closely related to Merlin's than any Mudbloods could ever be. Your magic is divided into Emotion and Mind. On average, Emotion gets twenty percent of the magic and Mind gets seventy. The extra ten percent is used to channel your magic through your wand. That is why wandless magic is so rare and the wizard capable of controlling it is so powerful.

"Basically, for wandless magic, the majority of that ten percent ends up belonging to Emotion. As Emotion magic's power is triple that of Mind, the wizard is very powerful. For most wizards and witches, however, when Mind magic is strengthened, as it is when a wizard goes to school, the Emotion magic is drained to help increase the percent of magic feeding into the control of a wand. Most wizards can manage simple spells without a wand, such as _alohamora_ and _reparo _but they could not, for example, duel someone without their wand.

"There are points in a Wizard's life called a Majority, as I'm sure you know. This is when a wizard is sick for a period of time, longer if you're more powerful, with something like a fever, though it is really just their magic surging to it's full potential and heating up the body. During this time, the DNA of a wizard can actually shift, in the slightest ways, to adjust the level of Emotion versus Mind magic. The Majority is normally triggered by the loss of virginity, but if that doesn't happen by - roughly - twenty, Majority happens anyway. Apparently, this is a huge point in debates that magic is stronger when two wizards are working together." Severus paused and cleared his throat, taking a sip of water by the sounds he made. Salene was amazed, right temple throbbing slightly at the new information she was receiving. Thinking about all this happening inside her made her somewhat nauseous. She'd known about Majority's and the division of magic, but not this much

"If anytime before the Majority, but after the Emotion magic has been greatly drained, overwhelming emotional stress is placed on a wizard he or she can, but not necessarily will, surge up in Emotion magic. This surge can disorient the magic as a whole, and the Mind magic will work, in a rare moment, with the Emotion magic to try and fix whatever's wrong. If the wizard is seeing something upsetting, they can go blind. If they are have an eating disorder, they can suddenly start gaining weight at a rapid pace, up to five pounds a week. If they're hearing hurtful words, they can go deaf. If something they've said distresses someone else enough for _them_ to be upset they can go mute. I think you get the point.

"The wizard will stay that way until his or her Mind and Emotion parts of magic agree the situation is rectified. Unfortunately, Mind and Emotion have different requirements." He paused and Salene felt questions welling up. But she bit down on her tongue, forcing herself silent. Severus had already given her more than enough information. He took another sip of water before continuing. "For Mind to be happy, in your case, you have to understand how crazy needing to protect me all the time is. How illogical and, frankly, impossible. You also need to understand that I don't need, or want, you to be stalking me, intending to help but really to be interfering in ways I don't need interference. To please Emotion, you need to know I love you but can take care of myself. It's expected you'd worry about me, after all you care about me, and I may need your help sometimes. But I can take care of myself." A pause. "That should do it."

"Wait! There's something else," she admitted, trying to ignore the fact unexpected tears were dampening the blindfold tied around her head. "I need to protect Sirius too." There was a heavy pause and she steeled herself for questions. Instead, she was answered by a sigh.

"I'll be back in five minutes," he said tonelessly. The door opened and closed before she could protest, and she reached out for the pillow on her infirmary bed, hugging it to herself. Though he was only gone around ten minutes, it felt like an hour. She felt the urge to rip off her blindfold, but had a feeling there was a purpose for it and so didn't.

Finally, the door reopened and she clutched the pillow tighter. "Severus?" she called out, hating the whimper in her voice.

"I'm here," he informed her stiffly.

"That was more than five minutes," she choked out, burying her face in the pillow. There was no answer

"Merlin, Snivellus, what's wrong with you?" The protective fury in Sirius' voice raised Salene's spirits slightly and she smiled into the softness of her goose feather pillow. For a hospital wing, it sure had nice pillows.

"Look, Black, none of us want to be here-"

"Do you hate me now, Severus?" she asked softly. Silence, and then the creaking of the mattress as someone sat next to her. An arm went around her shoulders and she knew immediately it was Severus. Sirius didn't smell like potions and hair grease.

"No," he said, awkward in front of her boyfriend. He paused, before going on to explain to Sirius what was going on, though without the helpful background information he'd supplied Salene with.

"So, I just tell her not to care about me because I broke her heart and that it's foolish for her to still care for me?" he asked, obviously amazed in a furious way. "That's sh-"

"Black," she said sharply. "Just...say it." She only hoped to whatever gods there were that this wouldn't actually screw with her thinking. Fortunately, Sirius had a better plan.

"You know what, Snape, I have an idea. You see, there are some things I should say that would completely sway her...um...Mind and Emotion into knowing it was pointless to care, nonetheless worry, about me. And if you heard the things, it wouldn't make Salene or myself very happy. I think it would be better if you left." Severus reluctantly agreed and she let herself grin as soon as her cousin had left the room.

"Quick thinker," she praised as he leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, hard and deep, before taking a slow breath in and beginning, in a very firm tone.

"It's pointless to worry about me. I know more magic than I need to, and I don't have any enemies that I can't handle. And even though I love you, more than life itself, I don't want your protection. What if you were trying to save me, and you died? That'd hurt me terribly, more than death ever would." He leaned forward to kiss her again, smiling against her mouth. "I love you. I love you."

"Say it one more time," she teased, suddenly light hearted. "Three's the magic number."

"I love you," he whispered, hesitating before pushing her down gently on the bed and sliding on top of her, planting kisses on her neck, hot and wet. She inhaled sharply as his tongue darted out, sliding slowly on her exposed flesh. Even though her body was crying out for more, she accepted it when Severus kissed her on the hairline and pulled away. "I'll get your cousin."

"I love you," she whispered after him, knowing he'd hear. The door opened, though it banged into the wall and she had the suspicion Severus had flung it open impatiently.

"For Salazar's sake, how many things could you have fucked up?" he exploded angrily. Salene flinched as she heard Sirius sigh in exasperation.

"I'm leaving." A pause. "Bye Salene."

"Black," she acknowledged, as if she hadn't noticed his presence before. She knew he'd start to smile as soon as he was a safe distance away from the infirmary.

"So...ready to find out if it worked?" Severus asked, voice edged with apprehension. She nodded, fingers clenching her sheets tightly, her body suddenly frozen with fear. What if it didn't work? What if you only had one shot? What if she died, or ended up hating Severus, or Sirius, or both? Even more questions spun around dizzyingly in her mind, but she shoved them away as she felt fingers working on the knot in her blindfold. She squeezed her eyes shut just before the knot came undone. "Salene...open your eyes."

"I don't want to," she whispered. "I'm scared."

"We can always try again," he told her. With a sigh of faint relief, she dropped her hands and slowly cracked open an eye, and then the other, only to find herself seeing into blackness.


	16. Chapter VVV

**Warning: **This chapter conatins "doing it".In other words, they have sex. It is not described except VERY vaguely (and not the actual act, just Salene's emotions - I promise it doesn't pass PG, if that) because I think its something that doesn't need to be shared, even when its between two fictional characters.

**Author's Notes: **I haven't updated in forever, but I've been uninspired forever, and am now getting upset because this was my baby for so long, and now I'm just sick of it. Besides, updating stuff I wrote months ago is rather tiring because the story has already progressed far past this and Sirius and Salene aren't...well. That's a secret.

Anyway, I FINALLY UPDATED because it's my 13th birthday today. Whoot! Well, birthdays are actually not a very big deal in my family and I haven't had a party since I was seven or so, but I'm still a bit excited. Then, it was my brother's 18th birthday yesterday, so...anyway. I'm done rambling. "Enjoy" (if that's possible anymore...)

* * *

Salene felt as if the world had ended. She couldn't see? She couldn't see! Her breathing came erratically as reality set in. She couldn't see. Yes, sure, they could redo the ritual. But when? And what if Severus had been lying? Was she going to be blind for the rest of her life? "Severus-" 

"Sorry," he said, puzzling her, until she felt fingers brushing her face, and the darkness slid off. She began to laugh maniacally out of relief and couldn't stop.

"Thank Merlin," she choked out through her spasms of joy. Severus had simply left the blindfold on, as he'd looked away as soon as he'd thought it been removed, unable to look at her in case she couldn't see, not wanting to read the disappointment he'd undoubtedly find there.

Salene sprung out of bed, danced out the room in joy, grabbed Severus by the wrist, and forced him to whirl around the room with her. Her eyes darted around the room, from the smallest speck of dirt in the left corner to the gleam of life in his normally pale face. She wasn't blind. And she didn't have this incessant, controlling worry about their safety. Of course, she'd still hex any person who threatened them, physically or verbally...but just because she wanted to, and not to the point she couldn't pull away. She hoped.

"Thank you," she whispered, hugging him close. He nodded his head and pulled away. Now that the crisis had passed, he'd sealed his emotions away, the only trace of how he felt the curl of his lips that could be taken for a sneer. She knew it was a smile. "Do you think Madam Pomfrey will want me to stay?"

"I'll ask," he replied and went into the Head nurse's office, which had only been Pomfrey for a year or two. She was pleased to new heights that she could watch him opening the door - see his hand turning the finger-print smeared knob, his elbow drawn back as he pulled the door open - rather than just hear it.

She jumped out of bed, too excited to lie down, or even sit. She paced for the two minutes Severus was gone, and then as soon as he came back with the good news, she planted a kiss on his cheek before dashing out of the room. Even as she was running, she cast a Disillusionment charm on herself, with her newly regained wand. The wet coldness had just faded when she reached the Fat Lady and leaned against the wall, prepared to wait. She had to see Sirius. She loved him and was no longer blind, the only requirements for them to…

Her heart raced just thinking about it. She'd never done anything heavy; the farthest she'd ever gone was to be felt up once or twice, both of them with Sirius. But she had plenty of images – and sound - from her ex-roommates' choice of late night activities…which was actually disgusting. But she could still see it very clearly – looking up into Sirius' eyes as their bodies met, creating and keeping a rhythm…

She shivered at her thoughts and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She'd never been the kind to think about herself involved with any males (or females, if you were going to think like that), and she'd never dreamt about her wedding. All she knew was she wanted to keep her name, assuming she did get married. Why did the female always have to lose her name? It was bad enough they had to bear children, but they also lost their name, had to wear an overly frilly dress, learn how to cook and clean…it wasn't just. Weddings, she had realized when she was ten or so, are very sexist. On that same thought, so were marriage. But, being fair, the men were expected to work all their life just to provide for their family, when the women could easily work as well. However, in the Wizarding World at least, women were pretty much forbidden to work once they were wed. It was extremely unfair.

Salene shook her head, wondering how her thoughts had gotten so off track. She was supposed to be waiting for someone to say the password, not be sitting on the floor and thinking about weddings and marriage. Merlin, she was obsessed. In love, but obsessed.

As if hearing her more recent thoughts, three boys made their way down the hall, two joking and laughing and the third moping, shoulders hunched and eyes downcast. She felt a pang as she looked at Sirius, who was obviously upset. Was it because he didn't know if she was still blind or not, or was it because she'd been chilly to him in the infirmary? Well, she'd had to be, Severus was there.

She stood and made her way to Sirius, standing a few feet before him as he paused and stared somewhere around her stomach, brow furrowed. "Is someone there?" She answered by shoving him against the wall and kissing him deeply. His lips matched hers with equal fervor, arms tightening around her waist.

"You recognize me by my lips now?" she teased, removing the charm. He grinned and pinched her cheek.

"No, I just never pass up a chance to kiss someone," he retorted, though his lips twitched in a smile. "I'm guessing this means you can see again?" It was a question, and so she nodded as an answer and let him kiss her again. "I love you," he told her in a low voice, his face so close the breath expelled at his words blew stray strands of hair out of her face, tickling her neck pleasantly.

"I love you too," she said, ignoring the surprised noises his friends made. "And I have to ask...what did you mean when you said I could go to Hogsmeade any time?" At his furrowed brow, she added, "Back with the whole Zabini mess. Remember?" He nodded, his tongue sliding out of his mouth to wet his lips. Her eyes were automatically drawn, and he smirked, though it was rather friendly for a smirk.

"I remember. You want to go now?" he asked, looking as if a sudden idea has just dawned on him. "But it's night."

"Exactly. They also have hotels at Hogsmeade." She guessed, by the way his eyes darted constantly to her lips and the ways his hands had found their way to her hips, he was experiencing lust of some form. Expectation, perhaps.

"Well...um...let me get James' Invisibility cloak and we'll...go," he told her, squeezing both her hands before drawing away and turning to his friends, prepared to ask to borrow the cloak. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Potter was already holding out the cloak, as well as a blank sheet of parchment and an unlabelled box, plain and white. Salene didn't know what the last two were for, but Sirius seemed to know and his flush colored his face with full force. He growled something Salene couldn't make out and snatched the three things out of Potter's hands and then turned and stomped away several feet. Then he paused and twisted around, smiling sheepishly at Salene. "Sorry." She smiled in return and caught up with him.

* * *

Salene knew the eyes resting on her were judging her and Sirius. The man at the front desk had probably heard about her short stay in Azkaban, and her family's arrest. And he, most likely, knew the name Black was tainted with Voldemort. And here she was, renting a room for a night with him, when it was well-known, even out of Hogwarts, her cousin and him (as well as the Snape and Black family) were enemies. 

"A single room, or a suite?" the man asked, lowering his eyes as his gnarled fingers picked up a quill.

"Suite," Sirius answered firmly, before she had the chance to answer. She glared and he rolled his eyes in return. "You're being-"

"-kind and loving," she interrupted, glare intensifying. He grinned in response before taking the quill from the man's hand and bending over the counter to sign his name. His hair escaped the hold of his ear and hung in his face, his fingers gripping the quill tightly so he could write his name with a special flourish. She restrained a smile as he straightened and handed her the quill so she could also sign, though her handwriting was smaller and neater.

"Our signatures are the exact opposite of our personalities," Sirius said in a would-be innocent tone, taking the keys from the desk worker.

"I'm not sure I want to know why," she said as he dropped fifty galleons on the table, the proper payment for a single night, although he didn't have to pay until they checked out.

"Of course you do," he replied breezily, flicking his head so the hair moved from his eyes. "My handwriting is attention seeking and bold, which I am not. Your handwriting, on the other hand, is tiny but common and you aren't."

"Are you calling me fat?" she asked incredulously, stopping in her pace to stare at him. "I am _not_ fat. I am not even at the average weight. I am underweight, thank you very much." She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. He took a step closer and took gentle hold of each wrist, brining her arms down by her waist and kissing her tenderly.

"Your waist is tiny, true, but other parts of you are not," he said quietly, and so she couldn't misinterpret his remark his eyes lingered on her breasts - though in her mind, it was lack thereof - before bouncing up to her eyes (A/N: Sorry for the not ein the middle, but I felt the need to mention that Salene does not have big breasts, or even average-sized, it is just that Sirius is "complimenting" her). She blushed and looked down, not sure why this appeased her. Normally, she hated when guys remarked on her appearance, good or bad. He turned to unlock the door but didn't step through. Instead, he turned back and scooped her up in his arms. She let out a noise of surprise and fastened her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing? We're not married, and I'm not injured," she protested, even as he entered the suite, laughing. She let go of his neck with one hand to smack his chest. "Let go!"

"You could just squirm your way out," he suggested, eyes bright.

"You-" She broke off, waited until he'd opened the door to the bedroom, and threw all her weight against him. His eyes widened as they tumbled in a tangled heap onto the bed. There was dead silence for several seconds until both cracked up, their laughter mingling and replacing the silence. Eventually, they calmed, and Salene found herself relaxing into the bed, scanning her mind for something to say. "Where are the rose petals?" she blurted out, and then mentally smacked herself.

"What? You wanted rose petals?" Sirius propped himself up on his elbows, managing to look both amused and stunned at the same time.

"Actually, no. But the Slytherins talk an awful lot in the common room about...things...and they always laugh how when Gryffindors lose their virginity, there is music playing and rose petals scattered everywhere and presents and breakfast in bed," she explained. "It sounded rather pathetic, but I wasn't going to say anything unless you hadn't done it."

"Well," he said slowly, as if measuring each word, "I don't see any Gryffindors losing their virginity." Salene knew what this meant. She was being asked if the fact he'd been so intimate with other people bothered her. Despite their conversations about his past, she'd never stated her opinions. She paused, and asked herself. Did it?

"Sirius...it does bother me a little bit you've been with other people, but only because I want you all for myself. I don't ever want to have to share you with someone," she said seriously. "I can deal with your past, if it means it helps shape your present."

"That sounds like your proposing," he teased and she kicked him, although gently.

"I don't plan on getting married," she told him lightly. "But I don't feel like getting into that now. Tonight...I just want it all to be about me and you."

"You and me," he corrected softly, though his face had grown serious. "I'm ready if you are."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it'll be really painful for you...and you'll have your Majority soon and everyone will know what you've done, though not with who...and you didn't love me until yesterday so-"

"Don't," Salene said sharply, cutting him off. "I have loved you for longer, I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. Nothing else matters, as long as we love each other." Sirius nodded and smiled faintly, rolling closer to kiss her tenderly, hands cupping her face.

"I hoped you say that," he admitted. Then he was kissing her, fingers patiently undoing the many buttons on her robes before turning to his own. Her mind was spinning at the quick pace as he straddled her waist and peeled his own shirt off, muscles tensing as he did so before "returning the favor". Her breath came short and heavy as his mouth exploring previously covered skin. Yet, it was more than physical. All her love for Sirius, friendly and romantic alike, was swirling up, creating an almost physical connection between them. It was this connection that helped her through the near unbearable pain, short though it was. It was her love for him that that made it all worth it.

Salene inhaled sharply as she realized their magic was bonding. She could hear an echo of Sirius' thoughts in her head, feel his heartbeat as if she had two, feel his complication of emotions melding with hers. Looking into Sirius' sky-reminiscent eyes, she knew he was feeling the same, and silent tears escaped her eyes. A magic compile meant you had found your soul mate, and if you so wished you could continue on to a Bonding, which was a very complicated procedure. Finding your soul mate didn't mean you couldn't fall in love with someone else, and there were no complications if a soul mate was not found, it simply meant the two involved were compatible on magic and personality levels. They could even be friends and still be soul mates...though you had to be 'friends with benefits' to realize your magic had compiled, as it only happened during the most intimate of acts.

"Salene," Sirius whispered, wrapping her even tighter in his arms. "Salene, I-"

"Love you," she agreed, smiling. "Now go to sleep!"

"Is that any way to treat your soul mate?" he teased, even while threading his fingers through her hair and snuggling deeper into the pillows.

"It is if he insists on keeping his exhausted soul mate up," she retorted, although his use of 'soul mate' had ignited a warmth in her - a strange warmth that made her want to...dare she think it...cuddle. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, relaxing herself against his chest and pushing away all worries and disturbing thoughts. And just for that moment, suspended between consciousness and sleep, life was perfect.


	17. Chapter VV VI

Coherent thoughts were not normally easy to form when first waking up. But when Salene woke up The Morning After, she was immediately alert and awake, looking around in the room she hadn't had time to admire the night before. She slipped out of bed, reluctant though she was to leave the warm comfort of Sirius' arms and pulled on a hospitality bathroom robe, tying it tightly around her waist and folding her arms over her chest to ward off the cold. After all, it was snowing outside and the fire had died - apparently the hotel was as old fashioned as Hogwarts and didn't have central heating. With that in mind, Salene made the fire as best she could before standing and surveying the bedroom.

The carpet was wall to wall, thick - at least thick enough for her to bury her toes in - and a deep red color. The bedroom curtains were silk red, a bit lighter than that of the carpets, with a shade of cream coloring the drapes, red lace lining. The walls were wallpapered a pale red color with cream designs on it, the only light coming from the small lamps on the two nightstands. In the corner was a vanity dresser, complimentary make up, deoderant, toothbrushes, and other toiletry lined up neatly. A large painting hung opposite the bed, a woman in a low cut red dress looking to the side, a similar looking woman in a periwinkle dress stretched out on the ground at the red-clad woman's feet. A cream-painted door was slightly ajar to the bathroom and she hesitated a moment before stepping forward to push the door open fully and peer into the bathroom. It was actually rather plain, considering the luxurious decorations of the bedroom. The floor was tiled with red and white, the walls white, the bathtub white, the counters white...it was much too white for her tastes. She did like the mirror, however, as it was a ten by four full length mirror, framed in carved mahogany.

She turned and shut the door, intending to explore the other two rooms, but found herself running into Sirius. "You got up too early," he pouted. "Go back to sleep."

With a smile, she said in response, "What, were you planning on making me breakfast in bed? Or, perhaps, filling up the tub and sprinkling rose petals in it?" He shook his head and reached out to untie her robe.

"I wanted to kiss you awake," he said as the robe fell off her shoulders and then to the ground, pooling around her ankles. Salene had never been once to prance around barely covered, nonetheless not covered at all, but it didn't feel awkward to her at all. The coldness was hard at first, and her body responded in obvious ways, but then Sirius wrapped her up in his arms to kiss her deeply and she warmed, from the inside out.

"I can't argue with that," she told him and pulled away. She slipped back under the covers, closing her eyes and exaggerating the puckering of her lips. She heard laughter and was reminded, with a rather emotionally painful jolt, of when she couldn't see. After all, she'd only been 'cured' less than twenty four hours ago.

Then he was under the comforter and lying on top of her kissing, her gently and with immeasurable passion, and she stopped thinking, never mind remembering, at all.

* * *

Salene yawned and stretched luxuriously, curling up into a ball, lazily watching as Sirius pulled on his boxers. "You have to get dressed too," he told her. She noticed with interest his cheeks were still, however slightly, flushed from their recent activities. It was amazing how non-physical it was, at least for her. If Sirius had been clumsy and awkward and sloppy it still would have been the best thing she'd ever done, because such a feeling of inner ecstasy swelled in her. "Salene?" 

She drew back to the present and smiled, finally sitting up Her arms stretched over her head as the blanket fell to her waist, and she smiled, faintly shy, when Sirius' eyes trailed over her fingertips, moved to her elbows, her shoulders, and continued downward. Then he shook his head, smiled sheepishly, and tossed her the pile of clothes that were hers. She frowned at the wrinkles in the material and (after removing her badge) transformed them into a pressed Hogwarts uniform. She repinned her badge, adjusted her skirt, and turned to Sirius.

"Do you know what I did with my hair tie?" she asked, spelling her hair smooth and making it into a ponytail as she spoke. He shook his head and dropped to his knees, lifting up the overhanging edge of the comforter. A couple of minutes passed and she went to his side of the bed. "Sirius, what are you doing?" Her voice was amused and her lips twitched up, but she made herself not crack a wide grin. It was, after all, very unbecoming of a Snape. With that thought, she snorted and let her rather unfounded joy show.

"I'm looking under the bed for your hair-uppy-thing and got distracted. There are is absolutely no dust or dirt in this place," he explained, letting go of the comforter and standing.

"There better not be, for what you paid for this room. One night is almost six hundred euro," she said and added at his raised eyebrows, "What?"

"Since when did you know the equivalent of a galleon in Muggle money?" he asked, crossing the room and peering into the mirror mounted on the dresser. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a comb and ran it quickly through his hair.

"Since I spent three months out on the streets of Muggle London," she said quietly. This was something they'd never talked about it, and she didn't want to do it that day. It would ruin the light atmosphere. He seemed to understand this, for he smiled in response and wrapped her in a hug when she walked over to him, resting his head on the top of hers.

"It's kind of weird I never ran into you," he commented and she met his eyes in their reflection, curving her mouth into a smile.

"Really? What were you doing running around Muggle London? Your family is as magically prestigious as mine is, and you had a home." Despite her light tone and teasing smile, the words pained Salene more than she was willing to admit. She knew his family was as bad, if not worse, than her own. But he could have placed wards over a section of the house and lived there. Then again, Sirius wasn't the kind to stay cooped up. He was free, or as free as a barely legal wizard still in school could be. Then again, she didn't even know if he was legal.

"When is your birthday?" she asked, interrupting him in his response to her earlier words. She hadn't even realized he was speaking. She blushed at her own rudeness and looked away.

"Well, Impatient Cow, it's April sixth." She filed the date away, but snatched the chance to change the subject before he could ask questions.

"Impatient cow?" she repeated, incredulous. "Did you just called me an impatient _cow_?"

"It's a Muggle joke," he explained, and added. "Knock knock." Salene, unfamiliar with knock knock jokes, didn't say anything and he sighed. "Say who's there."

"Who's there?"

"Impatient cow...and you say impatient cow who."

"Impatient c-"

"MOOO!" he...mooed, and then fell to the ground laughing. "Isn't that _funny_?"

"A riot," she agreed dryly. "Especially considering you called me a cow. That's the second time in less than twenty-four hours you've called me fat. I detect a pattern and-" Gentle lips cut her off, laying kisses on her jawline and then lingering on her mouth.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, eyes meeting hers. She pulled away and smirked, grabbing her coat off the chair and opening the door. As her hand rested on the knob, she turned around and flashed him a knee-weakening smirk - at least it was for him.

"I didn't know you were funny." He stood there, puzzling until he realized she had called herself ugly. This didn't help fade his puzzlement - did she truly not see what he did? Well then, he would just have to show her! He smiled as his resolve strengthened and he slipped out of the room after her.

* * *

"Can I ask you something and have you promise to answer it?" Salene asked as they stepped into the blustering winds of the January morning. There was a light snow and Salene wished they could go to Three Broomsticks and have a Butterbeer, or perhaps soemthing stronger, but there was too much risk in going to such a popular place. It was suspicious enough, the two of them being together and outside when it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, but neither had wanted to stay shut up in the hotel all day. After all, Sirius had reasoned, who in Madame Maulkin's Robes for All Occasions would care about them, other than cooing? He did have a point, being that only first year students and middle aged woman went in that particular robe shop. As there were no first years scurrying around Hogsmeade, they were safe. 

"Okay," he said, looking sideways at her before adjusting one of his gloves. "What's the problem?" She nudged him with her shoulder, too cold to stop and do...something. Maybe kiss him, maybe reprimand him. She wasn't entirely sure.

"There's no problem," she assured him. "Everything is perfect in the world. Except Voldemort, but who cares about him?" He forced a smile onto his pale face and she felt her concern grow. Sirius was always optimistic - what could have made him so down and insecure? "At least," she said, watching him carefully, "there's nothing wrong with _me_. You have something to confess?" This time he cracked an honest smile and shook his head, subsequently shaking the snow onto her shoulders. She didn't mention it to him, but silently brushed it off, waiting for him to explain.

"I'm suffering from post-sex depression, I suppose," he said, hunching over his shoulders and avoiding her eyes although he tried to make it seem like he was joking. "I feel really crappy. I don't know why though." When her only response was a smile and the crunch of her boots on the snow, he sighed. "I'm being unreasonable, aren't I?" He pulled her into a one armed hug and she relaxed into him briefly before pulling away and looking around her to make sure no one had noticed.

"No," she said, keeping her tone light. "Maybe...it's more like post-compilation depression." Her heart raced as he shot her a questioning and she looked down at the snow. "I mean, maybe it was just my imagination. People do compare it to death, after all. That's what I wanted to ask you. From what I read, I rather thought-"

"I think so too," he interrupted, ceasing her babbling. "I'm just...not sure. And I hadn't thought you felt it too."

"Salazar, did I," she said, shaking her head in wonderment. "Too bad it won't ever feel like that again." Conscious of the blush coloring her cheeks at her words, she shot him a somewhat shy smile as he held the door to Madame Maulkin's open for her.

"So," he said, "what are we doing in a robe shop?" She smiled at him and, now insured their relationship would not be revealed, kissed him lightly.

"You know the Valentine's Ball next month?" she asked and he rolled his eyes, though he was smiling.

"I've been attending Hogwarts for seven years and you've only been here less than one, and you're asking me if I know things about it?" He pointed his nose in the air and sniffed. "How rude!" She laughed and went over to the closest rack of male dress-up robes. She searched through them for a few seconds and then pulled out one at random. It was crushed velvet and a blue that was nearly black, the only means of closing it a clasp at the neck. She frowned and held it out in front of her against him, eyes narrowed as she considered.

"I don't think so," she said after several minutes of consideration.

"Wait! You're picking me out robes? What about you?"

"I thought of that," she said with a smile, turning briefly from the rack to meet his eyes before continuing to sift through the robes. "I'll pick out robes for you, and you'll pick out the dress and outer robe for me. Since dresses are more expensive, you pay for the dress and I pay for your robes and my outer robe." There was silence and she selected a silk crimson one, though immediately replaced it with a look of disgust.

"How long have you been planning this?" he sighed, though his eyes were smiling.

"It's January tenth, right?" she asked, shooting him a look for confirmation. "About a month. I'd just had the idea the day after you'd invited me to go to your house for Chri-" She cut off herself abruptly, tears welling in her eyes, recalling what had happened when she'd gone to Potter's house. "Yes, well."

"Salene," he breathed, cradling her to him. "It's okay. You're never going back there, not even if I have to hex a bunch of Aurors and Dementors to break you out."

"Then you'd be wanted too," she pointed out, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"We could be on the run together," he said in prompt response. "It'd be exciting." She laughed and wiped her eyes once more before breathing in through her nose, and then making a face at the noise air rushing through her snot-filled nose had made. It was extremely disgusting. "So...do I have to wait here or can I start looking?" He nodded over at the dress rack and she shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me. But be prepared to have to try things on at any moment," she said in all serioussness, but he only smiled.

"Yes mum," he teased, slipping away before she could respond.

* * *

An hour later, Salene dragged an exasperated Sirius out of the changing room for the final time, beaming. "That's perfect," she said softly and his eyes studied her face for a moment before he softened. 

"You think so?" he asked, spinning around for her. She smiled and slipped her arms into the robes, which were hanging open at the moment and exposing his bare chest, and hugged him, rather unwilling to let go.

"Flashy," she murmured to him, eyes closing as his arms went around her. "Just like you."

"I think I'm offended." A pause. "You think candy cane robes are flashy?"

"Candy cane robes?" she asked, pulling away slightly so her eyes could study the robes. "Just because they're _pale _red and white they're candy cane? They're not striped. It's not even in a pattern. Just the hemming is white." He shrugged, a movement that lifted her off the floor a few inches, distracting her. "Sirius! You could've warned me!" She frowned and pulled away, though with a sigh of regret because he'd been incredibly warm and she was, well, incredibly cold.

"I didn't know even my muscles were that strong." He smirked and flexed his arms and her eyes went wide at the way his muscles popped. She'd never been a fan of muscles, for some reason - probably from growing up around pale, lanky males like Uncle Sev and Severus - but considering there wasn't a gym in Hogwarts and most of his classes were no higher than the fourth floor, his muscle amount was surprising. Especially considering she'd seen him shirtless before (as in last night) and he hadn't seemed so built. When she asked about it, he shrugged again, a gesture he seemed to be favoring. "I have to keep in shape for Quidditch. James and I work out together sometimes. But I'm just blessed."

"I half-expected you to say well-endowed," she muttered and he smiled mock innocently in reply.

"I am. Just not with my muscles, if you-"

"Stop." She rolled her eyes and then her eyes went back to his robes. "You have to button those up so I can get the full effect. As lovely as you look in your boxers, we're shopping for a ball." He shrugged, leaned down to press his lips briefly to hers, and then reached down to do the buttons, taking his time and looking around him interestedly. Suddenly, his face paled and his eyes narrowed.

"Isn't that Blaise Zabini?" Her hands automatically clenched as she suddenly remembered their...conversations on Christmas Eve. Swearing mentally, she grabbed Sirius' hand and shoved him into the stall before stepping in with him and locking the door behind them. "I'm sorry but I don't do quickies." She sighed and pressed her hand over his mouth, shaking her head.

"Zabini...he knows about us," she told him in a whisper. "He's trying to black mail me into donating an egg for a cauldron baby because he's gay but needs to produce a heir and wants to keep the bloodlines pure." Sirius was laughing against her hand and she sighed. "He's going to tell Severus if I don't." At this he stopped laughing and frowned.

"Smfdhgldaagasd?" he asked and her eyebrows rose before she lowered her hand. He cleared his throat and said, "You're not going to do it, are you?"

"Of course not! Creating a baby for Zabini is worse than anything Severus could ever do to me," she said confidently. His face scrunched up and she sighed. "What?"

"I don't want to make you mad but...what if he used Imperius? Every time he sees Remus he gets this really constipated - what? It is - look of fury and slams something, or someone, into the castle walls," he explained. Salene looked away, eyes filling with tears.

"He's hurt and angry and confused about Lupin...though maybe not so confused anymore. He might do stupid things sometimes, but he'd never do that to me," she said with quiet conviction, meeting Sirius' eyes. "He's really very nice...he just built up an alter-ego to keep people away. And why would Lupin have been going out with him if there wasn't quite a bit of decency in him? I've come to learn that Lupin has a high sense of morals and wouldn't lower them just for reassurance being a werewolf isn't what makes him repulsive." He sent her a hard look, eyes narrowing fractionally.

"Why are you so cruel to Remus, and James? It's not like they've ever been anything but nice to you...well, at the Welcoming Feast James was a jerk, but he apologized and-"

"Sirius...please don't. Being civil, however slightly, to them is the best you can ask for from me. Lupin broke Severus' heart, and I can't forgive that, and Potter...he's Potter. That's not a very good explanation, but it's the truth."

"I'm worse to Sni...Snape than any of them have ever been," he pointed out. "But you don't hate me."

"Most of the time," she muttered. His eyes flashed and his teeth clenched as he looked away. There was several seconds of awkward silence and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," she apologized, folding her arms over her chest and looking away as his head swung to look into her eyes.

"I forgive you." The words were stiff and formal and her heart clenched at the note of finalty in his tone. But she refused to give in and befriend Lupin and Potter, more than she already had at least.

"No you don't," she said, pushing escaping strands back behind her ears. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"You're leaving?" he asked, eyebrows arching.

"I've got homework," she said with a shrug.

"But - er - I haven't picked out your dress. And you haven't paid for my robes." Salene reached into her robes and pulled out her coin pouch. She reached in and pulled out the ten galleon, five sickle fee for the robes with an extra fifteen galleons.

"If you decide you don't like them, you can get a different set," she offered before reaching out and unbolting the lock. "I'll see you." Just as she was swinging open the door, Sirius reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Don't leave angry. Please," he murmured, drawing her into a tight hug. She resisted the sudden impulse to stiffen and pull away and tilted her head up to meet his lips in the expected kiss.

"I'm not," she lied, voice empty. Then she did pull away, offered him a smile that was sickeningly fake, and slipped out. She pretended she didn't hear his loud string of swear words and the cracking sound of his fist slamming into the wall of the store.


End file.
